The Real King
by Pongo0614
Summary: Balinor is where he belongs and Arthur is helping Merlin into his new role. When the new king is assassinated, Merlin has to step up. Will he be able to do his duty or will he crumble under the pressure?
1. The Assassination of Balinor III

_And here we are on the sequel._

 _Now before you kill me because of the chapter title. A year has passed since The Real Heir._

 _I haven't finished writing this yet (and I am not even close, I have written 14 out of 35 chapters), so this will be a once a week thing until I can get to writing it (which should hopefully be soon but I have got exams coming up (going to revise by day and write by night))._

 _Just don't kill me ... please._

* * *

 **The Assassination of Balinor III**

Now don't get me wrong, the story of the Eorðdracas rise back to power was a good one. But there is more of the story to tell. And not all stories start the way we left them.

We left Balinor Eorðdraca, the third of his name, King of Camelot meeting his … well secret Queen. How was Hunith to know what she had gotten herself into? It wasn't like Merlin was in a better position. He had to have Arthur as a tutor to make sure that he was ready for the role that he had inherited.

If anything, there were times where Balinor wished that he just stayed in that cave. It had been one very long year. But there was so much that he had achieved. One of them being that he had managed to get most of council on his side to lift the ban on magic. When you have magic on the throne, it seems stupid that they cannot do it.

Arthur and Merlin had become closer. They spend nearly every minute that the sun was up together. Arthur is still trying to get his head around the fact that he has other family than just him and his father and that Agravaine wasn't his uncle. It seemed strange that he and Merlin were cousins. They looked nothing the same. But then Balinor had always said that Ygraine was always the odd one out in their family. She didn't have magic. Regan matched her golden hair but it got darker as he got older.

If anything it was what they had learnt. Uther was still under house arrest but Arthur didn't have the same sort of relationship with him. He obviously still loved him. He was his father but the same sort of trust wasn't there. Arthur was taking everything with a pinch of salt. Which was the best thing for the young Pendragon.

So a year has passed and Balinor had lived up to his name. Many of the people like to mention how similar he was to his late father. Hunith was equally as loved. Everything seemed perfect. And seemed is the right word.

* * *

"Your father was a good man."

"I know."

"He was my best friend."

"I know."

"I wish he was still here."

"So do I." Morgana replied.

"He was the one to stop me from hitting Uther after I found out Ygraine was pregnant." Balinor explained. "He was always right. It was frustrating."

She gave him a small laugh. "Merlin tells me the same thing. He hopes for the day I slip up. I doubt he would tell me even if I did."

"Definitely my boy." He chuckled. "How much do you remember of your father?"

Morgana looked down at the floor. "No much. I was 10 when he died. Most of my memories are of him waving me off to go to war. He always promised that he would return. The one time I asked him to stay, well kept asking him to stay was the one time he didn't return to me."

"I really wished I met your mother. Any bride that Gorlois would have chosen would be beautiful but it would have been nice to have met her."

"As would I."

Balinor raised his eyebrow at her.

"I never knew her. I believe she died when I was younger. I don't know the details but I believe she caught a fever not long after I was born. She wasn't strong enough to fight it. I haven't really asked anyone about it."

"My mother died in my arms. I sat up with her all night and we watched the sunrise. I think it is better for a child to bury a parent rather than the other way round."

"It is the way it should be."

"Now let's get off this chat of doom and gloom. Today is a day of celebration." Balinor held out his arm to her. "Come on, they will be wondering where we are."

* * *

"I'm proud of you."

"Shouldn't it be the other way round? Shouldn't I be proud of you?"

Merlin laughed at his mother's comment. "This time a year ago, you were just a simple peasant thinking how you were going to get through the winter."

"Simple peasant?"

"You know what I mean. You took on a lot of responsibility."

Hunith grabbed her son's arm. "Of course. I am just joking with you."

"I have a good feeling about this."

"That's a good start."

"We are going to be free again. I cannot wait to see magic being used in the streets again. It will be wonderful. It will be …" He trailed off trying to find the right word.

"Magical?" She offered.

"I didn't want to use that word but I suppose it will be. If anything I cannot wait to practice more openly."

"You should watch out. I think your father is a bit of a ladies man."

Merlin looked up to see Morgana holding onto his father's arm as they walked down the hall, chatting as they were.

"I wouldn't be worried. I know he only has eyes for one woman and I hope she has eyes for only one man."

Balinor smiled when he saw them. "Let's get this over and done with. Then we can celebrate."

He let Hunith step out onto the balcony first before following her. Merlin held his arm out to gesture to Morgana to go. She kissed his on the cheek before walking out and he followed her.

The courtyard was packed, chatting as they waited for their king to emerge. They all started to quieten down when they noticed that they were out there.

"Head up." Arthur whispered behind him.

Merlin rolled his shoulders back slightly and brought his head up higher.

"Better."

"Alright prat. Just because you know what to do."

"Well I had been in training for the role all my life."

"No hard feelings cousin."

"None". Arthur dropped back slightly as Balinor started to speak.

"A year ago, I took back the throne that was taken from my father and today will mark another occasion. There are some laws that have been put in place that are out of date. Many of these will be changed over the coming years. But there is one big one that needs to change now. I couldn't change it straight away and yet it was one that needed to be changed.

"Magic will run through the streets of Camelot once more. There is no need for the ban to be put into place when there is magic on the throne. Only a mad man will keep that law in place and I am no mad man. So from this day forth, the law on magic is …"

Merlin didn't see it but he heard his father gurgle as the blood filled his throat. He turned to see that an arrow had made its home in his throat. Arthur pulled him down but Merlin pulled him off and moved over to him.

"Find who shot that arrow!" Arthur shouted over the screams from the spectators.

"It's okay. We can do something. We can …" Merlin tried to speak but his words were lost to him.

Balinor brought his hand up and managed to stroke his cheek before giving a last breath. Merlin rested his head against his still chest and wept.


	2. The Aftermath of the Assassination

_I do think I got out of that one lightly. Well that's what I think._

* * *

 **The Aftermath of the Assassination**

"Please eat Merlin." Gwen said.

Merlin remained staring out the window. He had been in the same place for a while now and they were all starting to worry about him.

Gwen walked up to him and placed a hand on his arm. "It is hard I know but he would want you to carry on. You need to carry on for the people."

He placed his hand on top of hers.

"No one is expecting you to be a machine and not to be effected by it but you need to keep your strength up."

She managed to pull him from the window and got him to sit down at the table.

"I need to speak to Arthur." He said, trying to get up.

Gwen pushed him back down. "I will get Arthur. You eat." She turned and walked to the door, she watched him as he picked up the spoon and took a bite. He was moving in the right direction.

* * *

"Hunith?"

Morgana watched as she moved papers about and made everything look nice. She took a different approach to Merlin and Morgana wasn't so sure which one was better.

"He is always leaving papers everywhere. I am always clearing them up. I would look through them myself but some of the things that are on them make no sense to me. But then I wasn't brought up to live this life. I was just a peasant."

She could hear her voice cracking at the words she was saying but she continued to move the papers around. Morgana walked up to her and took them out of her hands and held them.

"You must mourn him. Trying to act like it didn't happen won't make it any better."

Hunith brought her hand up to her cheek. "Have you?"

"Not yet. I want to make sure that you and Merlin start to before I can properly."

The Queen grabbed into Morgana and she just about managed to lead her to the bed. They sat down and Hunith started her mourning. She cried and cried, asking why he was giving back to her to be taken away from her again a year later. She cursed every god and goddess she could. Morgana wasn't going to stop her. She would be the same if it was Merlin.

* * *

"I am King." Merlin muttered.

"Unfortunately."

His eyes started to well up again as he remembered what he had lost. "What do I do?"

"Mourn him Merlin, and do it properly. You need to get that out your system before you would be fit to take the throne."

"What will happen in the meantime? Who will make the decisions? Mother cannot be in a good place."

"Don't think me like my father but I could take over for the few days that you are mourning. The Council will understand if you do."

Merlin blinked as he thought it over. "That might not be a bad idea."

"Don't do it just because I suggested it."

"I am not. I need to mourn him. You know what to do. I need to think straight before I take the throne."

Arthur got up and gave Merlin's shoulder a squeeze in comfort. "I could not being to imagine what that must have been like. Balinor was a good man."

"I just don't want to mess up."

Arthur laughed. "I won't allow you to."

* * *

Arthur walked down the halls as Morgana left Hunith's room.

"How has she taken it?"

"Well she cried, a lot. Cursed everything she could for his death. I think she has started to mourn him. How's Merlin holding up?"

"He might want a shoulder to cry on that isn't mine or Gwen's. Sorry I think you are going to be the one to go to for them. He is hopefully doing the same as Aunty Hunith and actually mourn him. I suggested what we discussed and he believed it was a good idea."

"That still doesn't sit right with you, does it?"

He shook his head. "Uncle Balinor was easier to say than Aunty Hunith will ever be. It will be the same for the first time Merlin introduces me as his cousin."

"Did I hear that you are in charge Arthur?"

There was one person that they believed should **not** be around the two Eorðdracas and that was Uther Pendragon.

"Yes father I am until Merlin has mourned Uncle."

Morgana watched as Uther's jaw clenched slightly. He hadn't enjoyed the switch in power and hated it even more when Arthur had accepted the fact that they were all family. He hated it even more when Arthur referred to Balinor as his Uncle.

"Wouldn't it be best if took on the role? I did have it for 30 years. I would understand it more. We can wait for as long as we wanted. Merlin could feel like he was properly ready to take it at that point."

"No." Was all Arthur said to his father as he held out his arm for Morgana to take.

Morgana took his arm and they started to walk down the corridor. Uther was close behind them.

"Why not?"

"Because Merlin is technically king now. If he puts me in charge then I am in charge. I think you forget that I had been groomed for his role all my life. It will only be a few days. I am sure I will cope with that."

"I could not forget that Arthur but why just wait for until he has mourned, why not wait until he is able to do his job properly?"

Arthur picked up his pace. "I am in charge for now and that is on Merlin's orders. Another word on the matter and I will have to have you confined to your chambers."

Morgana squeezed Arthur's arm in support. She wanted to slap Uther right now. She was glad that he didn't trust his father as much as he did. It was nice to know that Arthur did have an opinion other than the one his father had. It had taken him a few weeks to get over the fact that both she and Merlin had magic. He avoided them and spent most of his time in his room, just to emerge and apologise for his behaviour. They had accepted his apology and told him that they had expected it. It was a big shock as well as finding out about part of his family that he didn't know that he had.

They heard Uther drop back. It probably wasn't going to be the last that they would hear on the subject but it would do for now.


	3. The Crowning of Merlin

_Sorry that this is a little late. I wasn't allowed on the laptop on Thursday because I had to help get the house ready for Christmas._

* * *

 **The Crowning of Merlin**

Merlin stared at the clothes that were laid out in front of him. It still didn't feel real. He had been training for this role for a year but he had hoped that he would have had longer. He had hoped that he could have a family for once. Now it had gone back to just being him and his mother … and Arthur and Morgana.

He allowed himself to smile for the first time in five days. It wasn't just his mother and him any more. They may have lost his father but they had gained much more than they had lost.

"Do you need any help sire?"

Merlin turned to George. It was taking him longer than it should do to get use to people to call him sire.

"I would like to dress myself. It is the last time that I might be able to."

"Milord, you are nothing like Prince Arthur."

"I know. That prat doesn't know how to dress himself."

George allowed himself to chuckle but Merlin knew he wanted to laugh. Everyone would complain that their relationship was right when they were master and servant but they act exactly the same as they did then and everyone just sees it as them being cousins. Merlin hated the double standards.

He sighed as he stripped out of his night clothes and started to change into his ceremonial wear. It was nothing like he had to wear when Bayard was there. Merlin stopped changing and smiled at the memory of it. Yes he was poisoned that night and almost died but it showed his loyal to Arthur and vice versa.

Merlin pulled on the brown trousers before sitting on the bed to put on his boots and lace them up. Next he put on a white tunic. He picked up the sleeveless coat and held it for a moment. It had been his father's. He had always hoped that he could have an occasion to wear it other than his own coronation. He had always hoped that his father would be alive to see him wed and he would have worn it then.

Merlin skimmed his thumb over the emblem. To begin with it had been weird for the halls to be filled with blue and silver rather than red and gold. It was the only thing that his father had been certain on. The halls needed to change. It was the Eorðdraca that were the main house in Camelot, not the Pendragons any more. He had always been uncertain about the crest but his father said that it was fitting. It wasn't their real crest because that was left in the north when they were disowned. This was the crest that Edmund made when he reinvented his family. A dragon with a crown.

Merlin smiled as he put on the coat. He looked up to see Arthur standing in the doorway.

"Nearly ready?" He asked.

"Getting there."

Arthur laughed. "For once I am ready before you."

"I have been thinking a lot. About my father."

"He would be proud of you."

Merlin nodded before he picked up the gauntlet. Arthur walked over and picked up the cloak while he was doing it.

"I expected Morgana to be here."

"I told her not to worry. I said that I would be fine."

Merlin stood in front of Arthur and he threw the cloak around his shoulders and fastened the clasp.

"Do you think I will be a good king?"

Arthur looked at his cousin in disbelief. He placed his hands on his shoulders.

"Merlin, if you are only half the man your father was, you will still be a good man. If anything you cannot do worse than what this kingdom has had. My father lowered the respectably of Camelot."

"You still haven't forgiven him."

"One day I will." Arthur dropped his hands to his side. "I would have thought that he would have learnt his lesson. We could have grown up together rather than not knowing."

"But without your father's betrayal, you may have never been born and my father may have not met my mother. It was circumstance that brought things to pass."

"Ready?" Arthur asked.

"As I will ever be."

* * *

"Then by the sacred laws vested in me, I pronounce you Merlin Eorðdraca, the first of his name, King of Camelot!"

Merlin took a shaky breath before standing up and turning towards his people. He gave a smile to his mother before Arthur started off the chant.

"Long live the king!"

The hall soon filled with their voices and for a moment, Merlin believed that it was the right thing to do. He had his time to mourn. This was his time to rule and he knew how he wanted to do it.

* * *

"Arthur, a word."

Arthur turned to his cousin and nodded before finishing up his talk.

"Anything the matter?"

"I am appointing you as my personal advisor and I need your advice on something. My father was obviously assassinated. I want to find out who did it and who sent them."

"I will see what I can do. It would be the right thing to do."

Merlin nodded.

"You are still coming to terms with it."

The new king sighed. "I didn't know him for long but I wish that I could have known him for longer."

* * *

"Why don't you leave the castle for a little while?" Hunith took her sons arm and held it tight. "It will do you some good. You haven't left your room since …" She let him fill the rest of the sentence.

"It's alright for you. You can be in mourning for the rest of your life and everything will been seen as fine. I was meant to be king four days ago."

"And that is why getting out of the castle would be good for you. Arthur will think that it would be a good idea. I know how you are going to want to carry on with his work and I know how you want your reign to mirror his as he wanted to mirror his father. But would you make the decisions that you want to when you are still thinking of Balinor?"

Merlin pulled his arm of out his mother's hands and put it around her shoulders. "I just want to make him proud."

"As long as your reign isn't like Uther's, he will be proud whatever you do. He followed his heart as I am sure you will."

"I will take a couple of days out then. I will come back to court a fresh man. Everything will get back on track. We will finish his work."

Hunith smiled as they carried on walking to her chambers. Everything was going to turn right now. She knew it.


	4. The Drunkard of Camelot

**The Drunkard of Camelot**

"It is just a trip to Ealdor."

"I still want to see you off."

"It will just be me and Arthur."

"And if you weren't cousins, I would be extremely jealous."

Merlin laughed at her for that. "I have heard the rumours."

"Be careful of the ones you hear. Some may have been Gwen and my own doing." Morgana said.

"How many people think that Arthur and I could be in a relationship?"

"Less now but even then they argue the cousins could be together."

"Well I can assure you that I only have eyes for one very beautiful woman. I love Arthur yes, but only as a brother."

Merlin pulled her closer to plant a kiss into her hair.

"Good, because I do think I could kill either you or Arthur in a jealous rage. Hey maybe on a good day both of you."

He just shook his head and chuckled.

* * *

"We have been on the road for most of the day now. Maybe it is best if we stopped." Merlin said. "Do you know anywhere around here?"

Arthur hesitated. "Maybe something over there. I wouldn't really know."

"You were crowned prince. Did you not memorises where all your villages where?"

"That was the boring part of being crowned prince. I wanted to do all the fighting and training to become a knight, not waste my day in the library, memorising something that I was sure that I wouldn't ever need."

Merlin laughed. "Glad I don't need to do it then."

"Come on. I think that there might be a tavern over there."

* * *

And there was. Merlin still wasn't sure how it happened but they happened to be in the middle of a bar fight. Arthur was in his prime. He was the one that could throw a punch as easily as he could receive one. Merlin on the other hand ran straight for the bar and jumped behind it. He did use his magic to help Arthur out but other than that he was of little use. It just showed him how much he differed from his cousin. But then again, Merlin always knew he was the brains while Arthur was the brawn.

Somewhere in the heat of everything, the main bandit had managed to get a crossbow. It was only when Merlin could see that it was pointing at him that he started to panic. He froze as he remembered the arrow going into his father's throat and the noise it had made. He registered that someone told him to duck but he couldn't move. He hit the floor as a body collided with his. Merlin was lucky. He got out of that unhurt but the same couldn't be said for the man that saved him. An arrow pointed out of his side. Merlin had to help him. He owed him that.

* * *

"Gaius, how is he?" Merlin said, gesturing the door to his old room.

"He will be fine. He is resting for the moment."

"I owe him my life."

"I am sure if you go up and speak to him now it wouldn't matter."

Merlin nodded before walking up the stairs and knocking on the door. He pushed it open. Very little had changed in the room since he had left, save for the fact that it was a lot tidier. He pulled round the chair as the man started to wake.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"I could be better."

"Thank you for saving my life. I am in your debt."

"They have killed too many people as it is. They are bullies trying to get their own way."

"Merlin." He gave his hand out to him.

"Gwaine. Just wondering where I am?"

"We brought you back to Camelot. Gaius is one of the best physicians around. I knew that he would be able to help you." Merlin spotted Gwaine's necklace. "Is that a dragon's scale?"

Gwaine looked down at it and held it. "It was given to my family when my grandfather died. It was for a dragonlord. They gave them out because they said it showed the sacrifice and bravery that they did when they died. It was a shame really. My family moved from Camelot to Caerleon. We didn't want to stay once the king had been replaced with a traitor."

"Which dragonlord did your grandfather serve under?" Merlin was sure that it was his grandfather but he just wanted to make sure.

"Balinor the second of his name. What happened to him was an outrage. One of the many reasons I hate nobles."

Merlin was pretty sure all his aspirations for Gwaine were crushed in that moment.

"But you are one. The knights code …"

"Well the knight's code is wrong." Gwaine turned to him. "How do you know about the knight's code?"

"Your grandfather fought for mine. Balinor II is my grandfather. You could carry that on and fight for me if you wish."

"Wait, you are the King of Camelot."

"My father died not just a week ago. An arrow to his throat. You can see the reason why I froze now."

"Why have you only just told me this information?"

"I wasn't exactly going to go into the tavern and announce my arrival. My father was assassinated. This is the first opportunity I have had to speak with you."

Gwaine looked him up and down. Here was the king, sitting by his bedside. Maybe all nobles weren't the same.

* * *

"He spoke fondly of my grandfather though. I don't understand it."

Hunith sat opposite her son. "Maybe because that was how it was told to him."

"I want him to stay but I know he will leave. He was as good as Arthur in the bar fight."

"You need to let him go. You don't know, he could return one day and ask to be one of your knights."

"I would gladly give him a spot among my ranks."

"Then let him go to show that he can trust you."

* * *

"He will be back." Merlin announced.

"Merlin, the guy hates nobles and seemingly this place. This is probably one of the last places he will go to." Arthur said.

"He will be back. You will see."

"You have more faith than me."

"When he is, he will be one of my knights. I still owe him my life. I deserve to rebuild his family's history."


	5. The Cave of Crystals

_Sorry this wasn't up yesterday. Just I have had exams all this week and yesterday was just a bit hectic to try and upload and revise._

 _But that is it until May so everything should be fine._

 _I have realised that I really need to get on with some writing so as I have a month off of Uni, I am going to try and write as much as I possibly can. I will definitely try and finish this story in particular._

 _I hope you enjoy :)_

* * *

 **The Cave of Crystals**

"I think this trip is in vain."

"Why?"

"Well I know something you could get her."

"Oh yeah, and what would that be?"

Arthur shook his head at his cousin. "Maybe you could ask for her hand in marriage. You have been courting for at least a year."

"Or two." Merlin sighed. "I will, don't you worry. I know that she has already planned out most of it. But I don't want to do it just yet. I want to make sure that I can rule Camelot like I want to before I do."

"Two years! When did you start courting?"

"You know when Morgana was 'kidnapped' by the druids." He waited for Arthur to nod. "Then."

"So what are you planning on getting her?"

"Why do you think we are on this trip? I don't think I can ask her what she wants. She believes that I got her something ages ago."

"What made her think that?"

"About a month ago, she mentioned that her birthday was coming up and I wasn't really paying attention because I was reading and she said something about me remembering and I hummed to agree and then from then she has believed that I have got her something. I have no idea what to get her."

Arthur laughed. "I am sure we will find something."

* * *

They have no idea how it happened or why it always happens to them but they found themselves running from bandits. Arthur was in front, being slightly faster anyway and knowing his way around the lands. Merlin breathed out a sigh of relief as an arrow shot pass his head and landed in the tree. What was it with people and arrows?

"Split!" Arthur shouted.

"What?"

"You carry on ahead and got through the valley of the fallen kings. They won't follow you. I will head right soon. We can meet at the edge of the darkling woods."

"Are you sure that is a good idea?"

He heard Arthur laugh. "They cannot follow both of us. They will have to choose who has more worth."

And as he said, Arthur turned to his right.

"Darkling woods?" Merlin asked.

"Darkling woods." Arthur confirmed.

Merlin carried on at the pace he was at. He could hear the bandits behind him, their feet hitting the floor hard than his. The leaves crunched underneath his feet and he swerved a few time to move out the way of trees and branches that littered the path. He had no idea what or where the valley of the fallen kings was but he knew he could trust Arthur when he said it was straight ahead.

He really wished that he hadn't spoken to Arthur. He was struggling to get his breath back in time with his steps and it was making him feel light headed. The terrain changed and Merlin found himself battling with rocks as well as trees.

He knew he was at the entrance of the valley. It took his breath away. The two statues that stood there were magnificent. Merlin tried to think about the time that it must have taken for them to be made. They must have been carved where they stood now. It was amazing at way the elements hadn't cause much damage to them. The only addition had been ivy.

Merlin took a look behind him. He had to see how many were still following. The group had definitely been spilt by them and it looked as though the majority had followed Arthur. Maybe they hadn't heard the news and thought that Arthur was still the heir to the throne.

He carried on but he knew that he was slowing down quickly. He had to find somewhere to hide.

At that thought he saw a cave and quickly ran into it, pressing himself up against the rocks that held it up. He held his breath and heard them run past him.

Merlin let go of his breath and spent a few moments to return it to its resting rate. His throat was dry and his legs started to shake due to exhaustion.

 _Emrys._ The cave whispered.

He looked down, trying to see where the voice had come from.

 _Emrys, Emrys._ It continued.

Merlin pushed himself off the wall and started to make his way through the cave. The further he went, the lighter the cave got until he reached the main body of the cave. It was filled with crystals.

 _This must have been where the crystal of Neahtid came from._ He thought.

"You would be correct in thinking that Emrys."

Merlin turned to see a man standing there.

"I will cause you no harm Emrys. The cave has shown itself to you for a reason. Don't fear the crystals. They are just like you, made of magic."

"I didn't like what I saw last time."

"What makes you think this time will be the same?"

Merlin thought of his question as he stepped forward. If it had shown itself for a reason, was it because he had to stop something?

He looked into the crystal and allowed the images to come to him. He watched as Morgause and Morgana spoke. Morgause's pleas for her to join them, for her to see that he was weak and that magic would never really rule as it should do. He watched as Uther walked up behind her as they spoke and placed a rag against Morgana's nose. He watched her try and struggle out of Uther's grip for him just to follow Morgause while carrying Morgana.

The image changed to one of Morgana and Morgause standing on the balcony his father was killed on. Morgana dropping her arm and the screams of the people as they are brutally murdered. Her speech about magic being on top and everyone who doesn't possess the gift should serve those with, that those without were inferior and didn't deserve to live, that they should feel some part of what they have felt.

Merlin tore his gaze away and placed his head in his hands.

"She has two paths. She has two people to choose between. Love or Family."

The young king looked up at the old man. "Love or Family?"

"Everything will be made clear but remember what you have seen. Help her choose the right path Emrys. She is not just important for your destiny, but for your well being as well."

* * *

Merlin couldn't shake the images as he walked to the darkling woods. He would be lying if he said that it hadn't shaken him. Morgause was going to make a return and it seemed like Uther was on her side, which to Merlin made no sense at all. Why would Uther be on her side when she wants magic to be returned?

He thought went back to what Mordred had said to him when they last saw each other.

 _We want them to understand what it feels like to hate yourself for years, to have to hide who you are._ He heard in Mordred's voice.

"Merlin, thank goddess. I feared the worse." Arthur said, pulling Merlin into a hug.

Merlin patted Arthur's back. "No still here. Two arms, two legs, ten fingers, ten toes and my head. Most of them followed you, didn't they?"

"I believe so." He said, letting go. "They couldn't keep up with me and I managed to lose them. Back home."

Merlin nodded. "I think that will be best."


	6. The Near Death of Morgana

**The Near Death of Morgana**

Apparently he couldn't just increase the guard without a good reason. And apparently just because he had a bad feeling wasn't a good enough reason. What was the point in being king when he cannot do as he pleases? He only wanted a few more guards to patrol the walls and streets. Apparently they didn't have the capacity to do so.

Merlin glared at the knights as they started to shout loudly. They were all drunk and being rowdy. He turned from them, sighing heavily.

"Everything okay?" Morgana asked.

He smiled at her. "Everything is fine."

He could watch Uther out of the corner of his eye. He had been allowed to attend the feast as Morgana's legal guardian but he had been given a spot down by Gaius. No it wasn't proper but it was what his father had said was right. He could join in but didn't deserve to sit with them.

"You just seem a bit … on edge."

"I'm fine." He wanted to tell her of his suspicions and what he had seen but he thought that it was too risky.

A servant walked up to them and placed a box in front of her. She smiled up at the servant as he walked of and she opened it up.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

"Merlin, it is beautiful."

She gathered it up in her hands and brought it closer to herself. He had gone to the jewellers when he got back and picked out the clearest crystals for her. The crystals of the cave had given him an idea and even though he knew that she would get jewellery, he knew that she would cherish his.

Another servant walked up and held out another box to her. He watched her as she stood up to open it. He looked over to his right to Arthur.

"Yours?"

He nodded. "I think I am going to out do you though."

"It wouldn't be very hard."

"Arthur is this your gift?"

Both boys turned to her as she held the dagger in her hands. Merlin wanted to hit himself for not thinking of something along those lines. It was obviously the perfect present for her.

"Yes."

"Thank you."

Morgana sat down and looked over the dagger.

"Next time, we get a join present." Merlin whispered.

Arthur chuckled.

* * *

"I will be fine Merlin. Stay and enjoy yourself."

"Are you sure?"

Morgana smiled down at him. "Relax a bit. You deserve to." She kissed his cheek before leaving them.

She chuckled to herself at how protective Merlin was. He had always been sweet in that way but he had become even more so after the assassination. She really couldn't blame him. This life had been built up for them and they had a good year. It was only a matter of time before something went wrong, wasn't it?

"Happy Birthday Morgana."

She looked up to see Morgause standing in front of her.

"I know what you did last time. I will not help you nor will I be on your side."

"Listen, I was naïve the first time. I should have asked you to come with me when I first arrived. He has got to you first and I accept that. I am happy for you Morgana."

"Why do I sense a but?"

"But he will never be the man to make magic come back." Morgause said. "He has been King for a few weeks now. Wouldn't you think that he would want to carry on his father's work?"

"And end up like him, with an arrow through his throat." Morgana stepped back from her. "Merlin will make magic legal. He is just finding the right time to do it."

"He is weak, why cannot you see that? The Eorðdracas were always making promises that they couldn't keep."

"He is biding his time."

"He will never do it then." Morgause strode forward and grabbed Morgana's upper arms. "You cannot see past the man you have fallen for. Love is a great gift but it also makes you blind. He would have already done it."

"Merlin will. He is a man of his word."

"But how long will it take?"

"As long as it needs to."

Morgana watched as Morgause's eyes continually flicked from her to over her shoulder. She grabbed her arms to try and get out of her grip. Morgause held tighter and swung her round to pin her gains the wall. She let go at the last second so that Morgana hit the wall.

Both their eyes went wide as Morgana stumbled and clipped the wall, falling down a set of steps instead.

* * *

"Merlin go and rest."

"I should have walked her back."

"Please Merlin, you will make yourself sick." Arthur placed his hand on Merlin's shoulder. "It obvious that you aren't going to leave her side. What do you want me to bring? Where are all your books on magic?"

Merlin groaned and leant forward, placing his head in his hands. "Why did I think sooner?" He got up out of his seat and ran across the room. "Will be back soon. Gone to ask the dragon."

Arthur chuckled before taking his seat next to Morgana's bedside. Merlin hadn't left the seat since she was brought into the physician's chambers. He had no idea why Merlin blamed himself for it. He had no way of knowing that it could happen.

"You had to fall for a worrier didn't you?" He said to her. "Anything would have been better than a worrier. The idiot, and he is an idiot, probably knows a spell that can save you but he has been too worried to leave you."

* * *

Even though Merlin didn't know what Arthur had said to Morgana, he wasn't going to tell him that Killgharrah had already given him a spell that would have saved her, which he used once before to save her. He cursed himself for not thinking about it. He had been cursing himself a lot recently. He should have walked her back.

But Morgause didn't get Morgana. She was still with them. He had managed to stop one thing. As soon as Morgana left the hall, he sent Arthur to go and entertain his father, told to speak to him for as long as possible. Uther had left but that was just before a guard came running in telling them that the Lady Morgana had been found lying at the bottom of the stairs.

Merlin couldn't think why Morgause hadn't taken her when she was there. But then maybe she had realised that she had chosen love. He had searched through the books, trying to find out why Morgana would have to choose between love and family but he couldn't find Morgause anywhere.

He shook himself out of his thoughts as he knocked on Morgana's door.

"Enter." He heard her through the door.

He entered and walked over to her bed, sitting on the edge of it.

"You look awful." She said.

"You look no better." He joked.

"I have a reason to look this awful. You don't."

"I was worried."

"I can tell." She grabbed his hand. "But I am fine now."

"What happened?" He asked.

"Morgause was there. I think she wanted me to be on her side."

Merlin closed his eyes and brought her hands up to his lips and kissed the back of them.

"I should have walked you back."

"Merlin, you weren't meant to know."

"But I did."

Merlin took his time and explained everything he saw in the cave from how he knew that Morgause was going to get in to Uther helping her and then her speech about magic being on top. Morgana just nodded all the way through it taking it in as slowly as he was saying it.

She took a few moments to comment after he had finished.

"If there is one thing that your father taught me over his time with us, it was that you cannot stop everything. The dreams and visions are just a way that things could go. It is destiny that shapes whether we could change it. And you did. You stopped Uther from helping her and I am still with you." She raised her hand to cup his cheek. "I will always be with you."

Merlin gave her a small smile before leaning in a kissing her.


	7. The Return of Lancelot

_I really need to get on and write this. I am almost finished but it is just getting it done. Hoping to write a bit today._

* * *

 **The Return of Lancelot**

"You really are a worrier aren't you?"

"I care a lot for the people I love. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Morgana laughed softly. "I am fine Merlin."

"I cannot help but …" Her finger on his lips stopped him from speaking.

"If you say one more time that it is your fault or that you feel responsible, I will assassinate you myself. What happened in the past is in the past. We cannot change it so please, stop worrying about me. I am fine and Gaius can even tell you to prove it."

Merlin sighed. "I just … just want to make it up to you."

"And that's the problem, you have nothing to make up to me." She smiled at him. "Now it is not that I am enjoying your company. On the contrary, I rate your company as best in the land, your only rival is your own mother. But don't you have something else to do than be here all day, every day."

"Probably, maybe."

Morgana kissed his cheek. "Don't let me get on the way of your duties."

"We could always run away, like you wanted to with the druids."

"And leave Camelot to the likes of Uther Pendragon. Your father tried very hard to build the land that he did in the time he had. You, we need to carry on his work."

Merlin noticed the look on her face. "What did Morgause say to you exactly?"

She dragged her hand through her hair. "She said that ... That you would have already made magic legal if you were carrying on your father's work."

"I will, just everyone is so jumpy at the moment."

"I know that Merlin. Go on, go and do something more useful."

Merlin shook his head as he got up of the edge of her bed. He kissed her cheek before leaving her.

* * *

"You need to be careful Merlin."

"I know."

"Just don't exhaust yourself because you want to spend as much time with Morgana. You do have a kingdom to run."

"Mother, I have everything under control."

"And getting Arthur to do your work isn't right."

Merlin smiled. "He is needed to help me out."

"I know that but you really must learn."

"I am but it is taking longer than I thought. I hoped to have learnt before I became King."

Hunith took hold of her son's arm. "I am proud of you, you know. I just want you to make the right choices."

"I know. I know."

* * *

Merlin couldn't stop the smile that lit his face as he saw the person walking towards the training field.

"Lancelot."

"I heard word that there was a new king of Camelot. I assumed that it was you. After travelling down from the north, I heard of your coronation. I am just glad that I left when I did."

"I am just glad that you did as you promised." Merlin turned to see that Arthur was busy carrying out his orders for the new recruits. "Let's walk."

Lancelot waited a bit before he spoke again. "May I ask of the King that took over first?"

"He was my father, he was assassinated."

"That must have been hard."

"It could have been harder. I had only known him for a year. He didn't know that I was his son until I met him."

"But he was your father, no matter how long you knew him."

Merlin gave a small smile as he sighed. "I will have to work on the council, apparently I need to ask them for everything that I do."

"I will wait for as long as it takes."

"Well I might just do it anyway and see what they say."

They both chuckled as they climbed up the stairs.

* * *

Now she wouldn't say that she was advoiding him but Guinevere was trying very hard not to bump into Lancelot. She felt guilty after the last time they met. She didn't mean to lead him on but she had fallen for Arthur and harder than she ever fell for him.

Lancelot was a good man and he didn't need to be pining over someone like her. She would only break his heart in the end. But then the thing to do now would be to tell him that she had fallen for someone else.

So why was it so hard?

Gwen knew that she loved Arthur, there was no doubt that she loved him but there was always more of a chance that she could be with Lancelot than Arthur. Lancelot was like her, a commoner. Arthur was still a prince, he might not be crowned prince but if anything did happen to Merlin, goddess forbid if anything did, he would probably be the council's first choice to takeover.

"Gwen."

She spun around and smiled. "Lancelot. I heard that you were back."

"It seems like the news has travelled fast."

Gwen's heart ached at what she needed to do. "You never said goodbye last time."

"That was because I knew I was going to return. Why say goodbye when it isn't final?"

"I … It would have still been nice rather than you sneaking off into the night."

"Merlin said that I shouldn't but … I knew I had to leave."

She took a deep breath. "I … If anything, loving you would be easier and less complicated and part of me does but there is a bigger part that loves someone else."

Lancelot looked down at the floor and sighed before looking back up at her. "And if love was meant to be easy and simple then more people would try and find the one they are meant to be with. I know that your feelings for me have moved on. I just hope that he can make you as happy as you should be."

Gwen felt like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "We can still be friends though."

"Oh Gwen, I wouldn't like anything more or less."

She smiled and they walked down the halls together, him telling her of his travels.


	8. The News of the Assassin

_I am going to be honest with you, I had really hoped that I had written more of this story by now. I really want to get this on to updating three times a week but I haven't written any of it for a while now. I tried last night and instead of writing a chapter as I had hoped, I wrote just over 100 words. I have no idea what is up but on Monday I start University again and after last term, I really need to do better._

 _Obviously_ _I will try my hardest but it looks like, for now at least, this is going to be on a slow update._

 _As I have finished preparing for uni at the moment, I will try and write something today but I really doubt it at the moment._

* * *

 **The News of the Assassin**

Merlin threw down the quill. It was times like this that he hated the fact that he was born a peasant. He knew how to read, his mother had always made sure he could do that much. He knew that she would have loved to teach him how to write but she was only a beginner at that as well, only writing what she had to and it taking her ages to do. She could never find the patience to teach him when she was constantly frustrated by it. Well by the time he was old enough to start to learn, he was more focused on being outside all the time.

He also knew that some of the lords still saw him as the servant rather than their king. Just because he wore the crown and dressed better didn't mean that people accepted him. It was times like this, when Merlin felt the weight of the crown crushing him, which he wished that he took up Morgana's offer and they just ran off with the druids. Arthur could do the role he had been prepared for and everything would turn out fine.

But then history would have ended with the Pendragons in Camelot. Merlin knew that he should have tried to gain some more support on the inside first before he found his father. There were still a few knights and lords that had fought by his grandfather's side and they took his and his father's side and Merlin was grateful for them. He had what they thought as well as Arthur's advice.

Merlin knew that he couldn't run a kingdom when only half the council supported him and the other half seeing him as nothing more than a piece of mud on their boot. Everything frustrated him and he wanted so desperately to finish his father's work and complete part of his destiny. He wanted magic to be legal.

He still had the dreams of magic flowing through the streets. He wanted that dream to become reality.

"Merlin, we have news."

Merlin jumped up at Arthur's voice and he tried to play it off.

"I scared you right."

"No, I was just … you shouldn't sneak up on your king like that."

"We have news. Who do you want to hear it?"

He scratched the stubble that was starting to grow.

* * *

In the end, he had the people he trusted most.

As it was about his father, Merlin knew his mother had to be present, no matter how hard it would be for her to hear. Well she actually demanded that she needed to be there and he wasn't going to stop her. Gaius was there as well for moral support.

When Morgana had got word that there was news, she demanded as well to be by his side. Merlin was going to have her down there anyway. His father had become like a second father to her … well maybe a third but she wouldn't really count Uther as a father figure now. She deserved to know what had been found out. She would be there to support him.

Gwen was allowed down because of the pure fact that she was there to support Morgana but then again Merlin trusted her. She was on the balcony with them.

Merlin would have had Lancelot with them but then he thought that he would be better to guard the room that they were in. He reassured him that he did trust him but Lancelot told him that he understood.

They had gone into one of the many rooms underneath the great castle. Balinor had taken Merlin around them not long after they had taken back what was rightfully theirs. He had been so excited to show them. Merlin had been taught all the secrets of the castle within a day and there was no way he was going to share them. Arthur didn't even know that the part of the castle they were in existed.

The man that had the information waited for them to settle before he spoke.

"I am sorry that it has taken so long milord." He said in his low, gruff voice. "But finding out who was behind it was a big task. The arrow that you gave us could have been made by any artillator in the land. They were very simple arrow. So we had to look harder and lucky there was a mark on the arrowhead. It wasn't one known to me but after a while we found that the artillator was a man named Kayburn, he works and trades in Kernow."

"That's Odin's lands." Arthur commented.

"Exactly." The man said.

Arthur placed his head in his hands.

"Odin? Guessing not a very nice man." Merlin said.

"Him and my father never really got along. They both have the same opinion on magic. It was the only thing that they every agreed on. Odin thought that my father was too soft on magic. He constantly said that he would have allowed them to get away. I never really understood what they were going on about until now."

"He was talking about my father and grandmother."

"Odin has never really been a friend of Camelot. I suppose he may have felt threatened that if it was made legal in the place where it first became illegal then, like the purge, everyone would follow afterwards and then he would feel pressured into doing it. As I said, he shared my father's view on magic."

Merlin stood up and started to pace, chewing on the skin around his thumb nail. He could feel everyone watching him.

"So I am not even fighting my own council over magic but a king that I have never met and hates my existence."

"Merlin." Hunith said.

"Just father made this look all so easy." He said before leaving the room.

Hunith went to get up but Morgana stopped her.

"Just let it all sink in. Everything is still fresh and he has so many plans and dreams but cannot make them a reality."

The older woman nodded before mentioning that she needed to retire herself.

Arthur sighed back into his seat and thanked the man for the information.

"You need to stop." Morgana said.

"What are you on about?"

"Merlin may have agreed that you were in charge slightly as he mourned but he is now king. Just advise him that he needs to know these things. You cannot do all his work for him or he might as well never have met his father."

"Are you accusing me of trying to take Camelot off Merlin?" Arthur said, sounding hurt by it.

"If anything I am telling you what people are starting to think. I know that you aren't like your father and you would never try and take Camelot off your own cousin but you have to make Merlin believe that he is going to be a good king. I have tried but I think that if we both do it then he is less likely to abdicate and give it to you."

"He wouldn't do that."

"He has spoken to me many times about running off to find a druid camp and living that way. He lacks confidence Arthur. So please start taking a more back seat approach to helping Merlin out with his duties. Or otherwise … I fear that the kingdom will fall back to Uther."

Morgana left without another word.


	9. The Castle of Fyrien

_You know last week I was saying that I hadn't written much. Well this week I have managed to write 3 chapters. It was a good week for writing. I literally need to write 3 more chapters and then this will go on to 3 updates a week. Part of me cannot wait to get it out to you guys. Maybe it is because I am finishing another timeline I created._

 _I am at uni all day today and am updating this from my phone. I have checked it on the computer but I will double check it tomorrow when I am off._

 _Please enjoy this chapter._

* * *

 **The Castle of Fyrien**

"He is good, I will give him that."

"Did you just expect him to let her die then?"

"No but she would have been in my care if that guard didn't happen to come by. I need her Cenred. I need her for my plans."

"I want to know why she is so important to you."

Morgause sighed heavily. "She is my sister. I … I was given to the high priestess as a babe. I only found out about her when I told everyone I was Morgause Le Fay. They told me that my parents only had one child called Morgana. I need her by my side."

"So how are we going to get her there? She seems on Merlin's side. How are you going to convince her that you cause is better than his claim."

"I need to talk to her. I need to get them out of Camelot."

"How?"

Morgause thought about it for a second before smiling to herself. "I know how."

* * *

"Sire there has been major activity on the border with Essetir. Cenred seems to be … well sending supplies across the border and transporting them somewhere in Camelot's lands. If we were not seen, I would assure you that we would have followed them to their destination but I fear that there were only a small number of us that got away with our lives."

Morgana watched Merlin as he took it all in. She had seen the chaos in the courtyard as men were carried up the stairs and to the physician's chambers. Some were even being treated on the courtyard but their injuries couldn't have been so severe.

"Which direction were they heading?"

"West sire. I have tried to think of all the places that were west of the border but there are so many."

"If they are heading west, they could be going to the Castle of Fyrien." Arthur said.

"They could be milord." The knight said.

"Rest." Merlin said. "There is nothing more that can be done now. Maybe you will be able to recall so more information after you have eaten and slept."

The knight bowed lowly and turned to do as his king had asked of him.

"We will question him more tomorrow. Court dismissed." He said as he got out of his throne and walked out of the hall.

* * *

"I want you to come with us."

"You fear …" Morgana started.

"If Morgause is involved then she wants me out of the castle. She wants to get to you. You are safer by my side."

Morgana placed her hand over his. "I do understand."

Merlin flipped his hand so that he was holding hers. He stroked his thumb against the back of it before giving it a kiss.

"I don't want to lose you. I have lost so much. I may have gained as much but I want to keep the people that mean the most to me."

"I do think I could handle her this time."

"I don't think she wanted to hurt you. Actually I know that she doesn't want to hurt you. But I am scared that if you stay on my side, she may believe that it is best if none of us have you."

"Are you feeling more comfortable in your role now?" Morgana asked, try to change the conversation on.

"I will never feel comfortable in it. More able is probably the right way of saying it. Just my father did make it look so easy. I have all these decisions to make and none of them seem to be on what I want them to be on. It feels like the council are ruling and I am just saying yes and no to them."

"It will come."

"I just want to finish what he started. I want magic to be free. Morgana, I dream about it every night. I dream about magic flowing through the streets. I dream about people standing in amazement at the skills of sorcerers. I want everyone to be free."

"And you will."

"I know that, you know that, everyone in the council knows that. But do the people. They are the ones that have suffered. I swear someone of them are expecting me to punish Uther more."

"Everything will be okay. Everything will come right."

"But how long will it take?"

Morgana let go of his hand and let it slip out of his grasp as she let back in her seat. "I don't know." She whispered.

"Nor do I." Merlin whispered back.

* * *

He doesn't really know why he is so surprised. It always seems to happen. It is a bit like their dungeon. Merlin makes a note that he should really talk to the council about that. Their dungeons were rubbish. He had easily got out of them some many times before.

But back to that fact that they were ambushed on the way and then brought to the place that they were heading to. So convenient. It is not like anyone had a plan or anything.

Merlin shook his head. He really shouldn't be sarcastic in these situations. He shouldn't really laugh at them. Because he was sure that to anyone else, it would look hilarious. The King of Camelot, the great sorcerer to ever walk the earth, stopped by a blindfold. He had to laugh didn't he?

The guard's hands left his wrist and he was sure that they were in a cell. Well he couldn't tell, he couldn't see.

"Arthur?" He hoped that he had been placed with his cousin.

"Yep."

"Please say that you can see."

"If you kneel, I can make you see."

Merlin did as his cousin ask and after a few failed attempts, he could see again.

Arthur turned to him. "Ta-dah, see I can do magic as well."

"Very funny." He said as he ran to the door.

"Plan?"

"Yep." He said as the lock clunked. "You find Gwen and I will find Morgana."

"Why do you think that they would be separated?"

"Because I believe Morgause is involved." Merlin said before he ran down the corridor.

* * *

Merlin leant against the wall.

"Why do I have to join you? Why can't you join us? We will complete the same goal. Why do it separately?"

He nodded in agreement. He had never thought about it like that and Morgana's point was a good one. Why could they do it together? They wanted the same thing.

"Because I cannot trust him. You may. I don't trust an Eorðdraca as much as I trust a Pendragon. They are as bad as each other. They believe that they are high and mighty but they are the same. No wonder Ygraine married into the Pendragons. They will stab you in the back Morgana."

"I know that Merlin can be trusted."

"Daegal" He heard Morgause say.

He scrunched up his brow in confusion. Why was he mentioned?

"He didn't die when Camelot was taken over as the books say. He was the same age as our father and Uther. He was the one to become friends with them first. Balinor just fitted with them better."

"Our father?"

Merlin sighed. That was the main reason Morgause wanted her. She was family. How much had he wanted there to be more to his? Morgana thought that she had lost all hers when her father died. It was going to be a shock to her.

"I was given to the high priestess at birth. I know that my parents were your parents. I am your sister Morgana. I had hoped that you would have recognised the emblem on my armour. It was our fathers."

"I … It has been such a long time since I saw it." Morgana confessed.

"It was an Eorðdraca that killed him, Morgana. Daegal killed our father."

Merlin's heart sank.


	10. The Thoughts of a Breakup

_*Scratches back of neck* Yeah, I know it is Friday._

 _I don't want to do it but I will be changing the updating on Thursday to Friday for the time being. Just I am at uni all day on Thursday and I don't really like updating off my phone._

 _I have decided that next week this is going to go on to being updated three times a week. Hopefully this will get me writing._

 _If any of you are Doctor Who fans, I have two stories going to be published next weeks as well so keep your eyes open for those._

 _Please enjoy this chapter. :)_

* * *

 **The Thoughts of a Breakup**

Merlin jumped off his horse and ran up the stairs. Arthur and Morgana watched him with concern. He had been silent ever since they had left the Castle of Fryien and it was starting to worry them. He had hardly eaten as well, he just pushed the stew around the bowl.

"I will go and see Hunith." Morgana said. "I will see if she can get something out of him."

"I don't know what could be up with him. But are you alright? You have been quiet as well."

"I am fine."

It wasn't the truth, it was so far from the truth. Everything that Morgause had told her before she had been saved by him and Merlin just went around her head. The fact that Morgause said that she was her sister just blew her mind. More than the fact the Daegal, Merlin's uncle, could have killed her father. She had no idea if she should believe Morgause. A big part of her didn't want to believe her. But then she had little idea of who to ask to know if this was right.

* * *

"Gaius can I have a word?" Morgana said.

Gaius looked up from his book. "Of course my child."

Morgana took the seat next to him and sighed. "I don't know who else to ask and I hoped that you could shed some light on something I was told. Morgause was at the Castle of Fryien and she told me that she was … she said that _our_ father was killed by Daegal. I am not asking if you know if that is true about Daegal but is Morgause my sister?"

The physician sighed. "It was never meant to be kept from you Morgana. Your parents wanted you to know but after your mother's death, it was your father's choice to tell you. He was going to. I know that. But he wanted you to know when you were older."

She stood up.

"What part of it is troubling you?"

"The Knights of Medhir, the spell that she put on me. The only way to stop that was for me to die. Why would my own sister do … do something like that? She wants me on her side and I think that she hoped that if she told me that, I would run over. We want the same thing. I cannot understand why she cannot see that Merlin is our best bet at it."

Gaius stayed silent for a while, so much so that Morgana wasn't sure whether he would reply or not.

"She would have had a time where she could have been herself and explored her magic. You have lived in fear of just the knowledge of your powers. To her, maybe she doesn't see that you understand what it is like. She survived the purge. Maybe she believes that because you have lived through the aftermath, you don't understand the need for magic to return. I have no idea Morgana but I do agree, she would be better off as an ally rather than an enemy."

* * *

Merlin racked his brains. There was something desperately wrong. It had been playing on his mind ever since the man came with the information that Odin knew of his father's plans. Other than the council, the only people that knew of the plans were Arthur, Morgana and Gwen. They had tried to keep the news of it low key because they didn't want to get anybody's hopes up. The council pushed the announcement of the legality of magic back as far as they could.

He could remember when his father had lost his temper and slammed his hand down on the table, telling them that he was going to announce it the next day as planned. After the council had be dismissed and left, Balinor had shaken his hand and said that it hurt when he did it.

It was realistically the last time he was with him.

It still saddened him that his father was gone but he knew that he should rejoice in the fact that he did know him and that he did have a year with him. If Uther had caught him when he was in Ealdor, Merlin would never have met him.

So how could have Odin have found out about it?

He must have known for sometime because he had to hire someone and to get him to Camelot. But then Balinor had been King for a year, he could have started to plan once he had heard the news of the Eorðdracas being back on the throne.

Merlin tried to bury himself in the thought of that rather than what Morgause had told Morgana.

He had no idea if it was right but if it was, Morgana wouldn't want to be around him. His uncle was responsible for her father's death.

He lent back in his chair and sighed loudly.

He wanted to cry. He wanted to know the truth. He wanted to know why someone was out to kill him. He just … He didn't want the weight of the crown to crush him. He didn't want the weight of his destiny to do the same. He felt so young, like a boy in a man's world. He was inexperienced in all of this.

And as the doubt started to sink in, Merlin thought that it may not have been best to meet his father.

"Merlin."

The young king looked up with watery eyes to see his mother, face full of concern. "I can't do it. I will end up like him."

"Merlin, what are you on about?"

"I don't know what I am doing half the time. You tell me that I am doing a good job. Arthur tells me that he would make the same decisions as I do. Morgana tells me that everything will be alright in the end. But what if I don't believe what you say?"

"Oh Merlin." Hunith said and opened her arms for him.

He didn't care that he was 20 and a king. He felt like he was five. He got up and walked into them, placing his arms underneath hers and his head on her shoulder.

"I just don't want to fail everyone."

"And you won't."

* * *

Merlin was walking the corridor from his chambers to the gardens. After his mother had held him while he cried, she had mentioned that some fresh air might do him some good. He hadn't protested as he usually did. He knew it would help but it wouldn't stop the thoughts that he was having. Nothing would.

"Merlin?"

He had been so lost in his thoughts that he had realised that Morgana had entered the corridor. It was the only person that he didn't want to run into.

"Morgana." He prayed that his eyes didn't look red.

"Are you okay?"

"Everything is fine." He said, giving her a smile.

"You can tell me when something is up."

"Nothing is up."

"You were silent for the whole trip back. You didn't eat. I know something is up and … I have a small suspicion that it has something to do with me. Are you afraid I am now on Morgause's side or what? Please tell me."

Merlin sighed loudly. "I understand if you … don't wish to court me any more."

"Why wouldn't I want to court you?"

"I heard what Morgause said. About my uncle killing your father. I do understand Morgana."

He didn't stay for her reply. It would only break his heart more than it already had done.


	11. The Quest of the Trident

_If anyone takes any note of these ANs, then you will know what I said last week. I know it is Thursday. I didn't have my morning seminar at Uni, meaning I am still at home and can upload it now._

 _And from today, this is on a three times a week upload. Woo party._

 _I still have five chapters left to write but they should be written very soon (I seem to be on a roll with writing at the moment, hopefully it still is after I have told you guys that)._

 _Anyway enjoy and I will see you again on Sunday._

* * *

 **The Quest of the Trident**

She wasn't going to lie, she was miserable and she knew that Merlin felt the same. She kicked herself for not thinking that he had overheard what Morgause had told her.

Morgana had voiced her concerns to Gwen and even went running to her after Merlin had … well broken up with her. It killed her to think that he would give up that easily with their relationship, that he didn't want to fight for what they had. She knew that Morgause had said it to try and make her see that the Eorðdraca were the bad ones and not her. Morgause had tried to break them up and succeeded.

"Morgana, are you alright?"

She turned to Gwen. "There is no point in lying to you. No and I don't know how I can make Merlin see that it is what she wanted. How I don't care if his uncle killed my father. My father fought against magic for Uther, Deagal would have fought for magic. They were on opposite sides. My father also took Uther's side after the rebellion. To Deagal, my father was a traitor to his family. You can understand why he would have killed him."

"I can speak to Arthur. See if he can talk any sense into him."

"I don't want Arthur knowing. He will only make a big fuss." Morgana rested her head on the window. "I don't know what to do but I want to stop hurting."

Gwen rubbed Morgana's shoulder before leaving her alone. She had to do something to help her.

* * *

"The council have asked me to pass on their wishes." Gaius said.

"Please join us Gaius."

The physician looked at the chair next to Merlin and opposite Hunith.

"I think it will be best ..."

"Gaius just join us. Please." Merlin tried again.

The old man sighed as he took the chair.

"You were saying about the council."

"Arthur would know this but each crown prince is asked to complete a quest to prove that they are worthy of the throne."

"But I am no longer crowned prince though."

"They wish for you to still do it. I tried arguing that point as well but they were very keen for you to complete yours. I do recommend that you do it. It will keep your council happy and I know how you are struggling to get them to agree to anything. They all seem to see you as the servant still."

Merlin dropped his fork at the same time as his stomach did. They might as well have called him to the Council Chamber and put a sword in his stomach. It would have been better than knowing that they only saw him still as a servant.

"Merlin." His mother whispered … well he thought she whispered.

All he could hear was his own breaths. He was sure he wasn't breathing as heavily as it seemed he was. He was just breathing normal, wasn't he?

"I need ..." He started by he didn't know what he needed. He stood up and just allowed his feet to take him to wherever he thought he needed to go.

* * *

He stopped outside Morgana's door and wanted to raise his hand to knock. She would know what to do, she would know what to say. But he felt like he couldn't run to her any more. They weren't together and seeing her would only make his heart sink as well as his stomach.

Merlin turned from her door and carried down the hallway. There was only one other place he could go. He stopped outside Arthur's chambers and just walked in, as he used to.

Arthur was sitting at his desk with his head in his hands.

"They see me as a servant still." Merlin said.

Arthur jumped and looked at his cousin. "Who thinks that?"

"The council. They want me to go on a quest to prove myself."

He blinked for a few moments, taking in the information. "But you are king."

"But the council don't see me anything more than a servant. I am going to have to do it just to prove myself to them. Maybe I can get my father's laws through."

"Maybe." Was all Arthur replied.

* * *

Morgana felt a pull of magic and walked around the corridors, trying to find out where it was coming from. It led her from her room out into the courtyard and to Merlin, just as he was leaving. She rushed down the stairs as the pull of magic weakened as he cantered off.

"Was he sent anything?" She asked Arthur when she reached the bottom. "Wearing anything that he usually wouldn't?"

"What you on about?"

"Arthur tell me."

"A bracelet. He was told that it would give him the strength to complete his quest."

He called out in surprise as Morgana grabbed his arm and pulled him into the castle.

* * *

"Ah good, Courage and Strength." The Dwarf said.

"I am not even going to ask." Arthur mumbled to himself.

"Magic is waiting for you help."

"The idiot is meant to be doing it on his own."

"Well Magic would never be able to complete the quest without you. It is as much your quest as it is his."

Arthur shrugged and walked forward to go across the bridge.

"You are just accepting all this." Gwaine called out.

He turned back to him. "I have really given up questioning everything. It is a lot easier just to accept it now. When you have found out so much about yourself that you didn't know as I have done, you will understand why I just accept things. Now you are here because even though you hate nobility, you like Merlin and we better go and save him."

Gwaine sighed but smiled as he watched Arthur walk over the bridge. He had no idea how Arthur knew that he had actually enjoyed Merlin's company, well for the small amount of time that they had spoken. He had heard everything that had happened in Camelot and he had wished that he hadn't judge Merlin so quickly. The more he had learnt about Merlin, the more Gwaine felt like he should have stayed. He didn't know what he would say if Merlin asked him again.

* * *

Merlin could feel his words slur and he couldn't keep his eyes open. He had no idea why and he was starting to panic. The wyverns were coming closer to him and he had no idea how he was going to get himself out of this one.

He didn't know how, but he allowed the arms that came behind him to pull him out of danger. He didn't even try to see who it was saving him, he was just grateful that they were saving him.

Then suddenly he felt awake and was staring up at Arthur and Gwaine.

"I thought I was meant to do this alone."

"I said that to the dwarf but apparently it is as much our quest as it is yours." Arthur said as he helped his cousin up.

"Well I cannot lie and say that I am not happy to see you. How did you get me out of there?"

"You are just lucky that you are as skinny as you are." Arthur pointed towards the floor. "We managed to get you through that gap."

Merlin looked at it and nodded. "Come on. Let's get this trident and get out of here." He started to walk off but stopped by Gwaine, patting him on the shoulder. "I am glad that you could come and help."

They navigated their way through the corridors, looking for the throne room. Merlin was the first to enter and see the forever dying Fisher King.

"An Eorðdraca. A house of pride and loyalty." He said once the young king had stood in front of him. "And Pendragon and Luwddoc. I have been waiting for this day since it was told to me."

The three young men all looked at each other before turning back to the king.

"Emrys, you were sent on a quest not because they cannot see the king that you are destined to be but because you cannot see it. Doubt fills you mind and you cannot seem to remove it. Become like your father and his father and his father before him. Become what it means to be an Eorðdraca. Be the fair and just king you want to be. All the evil in the world cannot win as long as you stay true to yourself."

Merlin took his words on board. He didn't really want Arthur to know how he had been feeling but the Fisher King was right. He just had to do what he thought he had to do.

"As for you two, he needs people to protect and guide him." The Fisher King held out his trident with one hand and a vial of water. "The trident will just be a keepsake. Use this in your greatest need."

Merlin took both off him.

"I trust you still have the eye of the phoenix."

The young king turned to Arthur. "The what?"


	12. The Relationship of Merlin and Morgana

_Not one of my best chapters_

* * *

 **The Relationship of Merlin and Morgana**

"Come back with us." Merlin said once they had saddled up and were on their horses.

"I can't."

Merlin wanted to argue that he could. That he wouldn't make him a knight until he wanted to be one. That he wouldn't do anything that he did want him to.

"I heard a lot about your grandfather's reign, I just hope you are a fair and just king like he was."

And with that, Gwaine dug his heels into his horse and trotted away.

"He will come back with us one day. You will see." Merlin said.

"I thought he was this time around." Arthur commented.

"He will."

They encouraged their horses to move and started the journey home.

"Has something happened between you are Morgana?"

Merlin hesitated. "What has she said?"

"Nothing really, just … you both have been acting really weird since we came back from the Castle of Fryien. And yes, you idiot, I have noticed. I know it is weird to notice but Morgana has been in her chambers more than usual and we usually all eat together but either she is feeling too tired or you are too busy. So please, what has happened?"

"I did find her. Morgause was trying to convince her to join her side and cause while Morgana was saying that it was what I was working towards. She … Morgause told Morgana that Daegal, my uncle, killed her father."

Merlin turned to Arthur when he started laughing.

"Who called it off? You or her?"

"Well me but ..."

"You are an idiot."

Merlin pulled back on the reigns slightly, slowing his horse down. "Sorry?"

"You broke your courtship but is that what she wanted?" Arthur called out over his shoulder. "Come on Merlin you have been locked up in your room to avoid seeing her. She still wants to be with you. She doesn't partially care. She knew that Morgause only told her that so that what happened, happened. Why can't you see that?"

Merlin didn't answer him. He realised why he had kept it a secret for so long. He was usually good with these things, spotting the trap and not falling for it. Maybe that is what the weight of the crown does to you, makes you oblivious to everything.

"The only reason I am here is because Morgana noticed the pull of magic from the eye of the phoenix. After I had identified what it looked like, she sent me straight after you, telling me to bring you back home, alive. She will understand if you go back and tell her that you have been an idiot."

* * *

"I have been an idiot." Merlin said once she had opened the door.

"Was it Arthur or almost dying that has made you say that?"

"Arthur." He mumbled.

Morgana giggled before opening up the door fully and allowing him in.

"If anything, I can understand why you did what you did do and why you would have been upset."

"But she almost got what she wanted." He said as he sat down on her bed.

She copied what he did and took his hand. "Well, we know that she will never win. I took a look at the records while you were gone. Daegal was missing, presumed dead. Obviously your grandfather and Regan were both down as dead along with another brother that your father had, Aldwyn. Your father was the youngest of six, four boys and two girls."

"You know more about my own family than I do."He joked.

"If you look at it from Daegal's point of view, my father would have been his enemy. My father was known to be by Uther's side and when they met on the battlefield, my father fought for Uther and against magic while Daegal was fighting for magic. You cannot blame him for feeling betrayed."

"No, you can't."

Morgana stood up and brought over a book. It was a thick book and not very well kept. The spin was falling off and there was a smell of damp.

"Geoffrey was very helpful in finding this. He told me that he was meant to destroy it after Uther took over because he didn't want any trace of the Eorðdracas."

"I know. Ygraine was adopted by the De Bois so he could still marry her."

Merlin took the book out of her hands and opened it. He cleared his throat as the smell of damp hit him. He looked at the page that it opened up at. There was a picture of a round table and the names of people, obviously to were they sat. It started at the top with Balinor and Cwen. Merlin read round clockwise, noting that not all of the people at the table were lords or knights.

"Sir Accalon Luwddoc." He whispered. "Luwddoc." He pointed to the name. "That is Gwaine's grandfather."

"I thought you said that his father fought for Caerleon."

"He did but his grandfather fought for Camelot. When his grandfather died, the family was given a dragon scale with his crest engraved into it. They moved from Camelot when Uther took over." He paused. "I want the same."

"What?"

"I want a round table. Look, it says that 'Balinor II had a round table of men and women that he trusted most. The table was round to signify that he didn't believe another to be more important than the other.' It would be great."

"It wouldn't be a bad idea. Any ideas how would be there?"

"You, my mother, Arthur, Gwen, Lancelot, Gaius. Even Gwaine can have a seat when he does join us."

Morgana smiled at him.

"What?"

"Sometimes I forget that underneath that crown, you are still the awkward boy that I fell in love with. Please don't grow up too fast."

"Why do you say that?"

"Merlin you have just got excited at the thought of a round table and all the people you want on it. I am not saying it is a bad thing. I love this side of you. Just don't let that crown change that."

Merlin gave her a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. He knew where she was coming from. He had hoped that he would remain as youthful as he seemed but there were some situations where he knew he had to grow up for them.


	13. The Decision of the Council

_Really need to get back into writing. Well I will do it when I am meant to be listening to a lecture later._

 _If you haven't seen, I have posted two Doctor Who fanfics if anyone is interested._

 _Please enjoy._

* * *

 **The Decision of the Council**

Merlin walked down the halls. For once, the crown that rested on his head, felt lighter. He hoped that this will be the first council meeting where there could be some sort of agreement on things that he wanted. He wasn't going to go straight in and ask for magic to be made legal. He knew he had to take baby steps.

He felt good and he was sure that nothing could change his mood. Today was the day that anyone could become a knight. The law that only nobles could be knights was outdated when people like Lancelot could easy take on any knight that came at him.

It was going to be the start of the change. This was what was going to begin his reign.

* * *

"Lancelot has been here for a while now." Merlin started. "I understand the law that is put in place but he is easy as good as any of the knights we have at the moment. I want to make him one of my knights."

He watched them as they all looked at each other.

"It was something that your father had raised with the council but we just cannot accept it."

"Why not?"

"Because it has been like that for years, since the beginning of the kingdoms." One of the other lords answered.

"It isn't that I am going to let anyone be a knight." Merlin argued. "When did name become more important that skill? There are some knights that I know that have had to have extra training because they don't have the skills that it takes to be a knight. They may be good now but Lancelot has natural talent and skill. I have seen it with my own eyes."

"I am sure that hasn't happened."

"Well as I know, you know that I was Arthur's servant. I know what extra training he gave out. I know how many should have failed but were made to pass because their father's sat on this very council. I know all the secrets." Merlin held himself back.

He could have kept going on. He would have told them to get off their high horse. He would have told them that his father married a peasant woman. But he knew that it would get him nowhere.

"You cannot make Lancelot a knight because he doesn't belong to a noble house. If he did, there would be no stopping you. And you will not go against us. We are the voice of the people. We are what they all think. They would not be happy with someone as common as them to rise above their station."

"You have no idea what the people want."

Merlin stood up and stormed out of the room. He had to leave before they requested that he abdicated or something along those lines.

* * *

The door slammed heavily against the wall and Merlin instantly regretted it as it flew back towards him. He managed to stop the door from slamming back in his face. He reached up and took the crown off his head and tossed it onto his bed.

He was more than a little upset by the way that the meeting with the council went. He would jump through so many hoops just to get them to trust him and that he knew what he was doing and saying. The people didn't care who was made a knight just as long as they served the kingdom and was loyal and protected them.

Merlin sat on the edge of his bed and placed his head in his hands.

* * *

Hunith had watched her son push his door and heard the bang as it hit the wall. Obviously the council meeting hadn't gone as planned. It was something that she didn't know how to fix. If they were like it with Merlin and he was the king, then there was no chance that they were going to listen to her.

She watched from the door as he threw his crown and place his head in his hands.

They had tried so hard to put some confidence in him, that he was doing a good job. But every time they had picked him up, the council seemed to knock him down again.

Merlin had all the confidence and ideas to be a good king and Hunith knew that if the council gave him a chance to do what he wanted, they would see that as well. But the inexperience probably wasn't helping.

"Oh Merlin." She said as she made her presence known.

"Is it not enough that I do what they ask of me? Is it not enough that I am my father's son?" Merlin said through the tears. "If it was Arthur asking them, then they would consider it. That's all I would like them to do. Consider it. I don't need them to tell me yes or no right there and then."

"You are doing a brilliant job."

"Why can only you and the others see that? Why can't they see that? I only asked to make Lancelot a knight. It's not like I was asking for magic to be made legal. I know that it is tradition for nobles to be knights but why can't it be on skill?"

"I don't know, this is as new to me as it is you."

"I don't even think if I had lived like this for all my life, I would be ready."

"It will come. Just give them a bit more time. Just be a bit patient with them. They have thought for many years that they would be under Arthur. I know you were distraught when you found out that they only saw you as a servant but that is the role that they knew you as. It will come Merlin and when it does, you will be able to show them and the kingdom what type of king you are."

"I know that I will have to wait. I will keep waiting until they do trust me like they did Uther." Merlin stopped for a moment.

"What is it?"

"I don't want to suspect him but what if he does still have some control? They are the men that he put as his council." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "What if he had something to do with my father's death?"

"Maybe." She said at the same level as him. "But I would just keep it to yourself."

"I will."


	14. The Tournament of No Rules

_I should really say that I haven't written in a while more often because usually after I say that, I can._

 _Hope you enjoy this longer chapter._

* * *

 **The Tournament of No Rules**

Realistically, Merlin had no idea what he was signing up to when he was asked to partake in the upcoming tournament. He was just told that he was expected to join and to show his skills off to the people.

"So this tournament has no rules?"

"Yes Merlin." Arthur replied to him.

"So I could use magic."

"Technically yes but I wouldn't if I was you. People from all over come to be a part of it and as we know that there are still kingdoms that are against magic, I don't think you want to be assassinated, do you?"

"Probably right. I hear that Lancelot is taking part. Is that allow?"

"There is only one rule, Merlin. There is no rules. You don't know, this may be his chance to prove himself to the council and you might get your wish."

Merlin stopped walking and allowed Arthur to carry on. He hadn't thought about it like that.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't mind doing it?"

"I have started tournaments before."

"Have you?"

Morgana laughed. "Yes before you got here. I know how to start a tournament."

"Thanks, just mother was going to do it but she ..."

"I have seen her. Although I don't think she wants to be ill, she seems relieved that she doesn't have to start it off … or watch you fight."

"It is understandable."

She rested her head against his shoulder as they walked along.

* * *

Merlin had just finished buckled up his gauntlet when Arthur entered his chambers.

"We have been drawn together."

"I know, it was mentioned to me that we shouldn't have because it would have made the final more exciting." Merlin paused as he sheathed his sword. "When we step out onto that field, we aren't friends, we aren't cousins and I am not your king. I don't want you to go easy on me. Just fight me as if I was any other contestant."

Arthur nodded and Merlin hoped that he would do as he asked. He didn't want to be treated differently.

"Lancelot just lost his fight."

Merlin shook his head. "No, really?"

"It was brutal. The guy just kept swinging at him. At one point, I thought he was going to take his head off. Lancelot managed to push him into the barrier but it ends with a sword very dangerously close to his throat that Morgana had to shout that he was the winner." Arthur explained. "He is alright just a bit shaken."

The king just shook his head. There had been many people that had caught his eye since the tournament had started and he must have been one of them, but for the wrong reasons. He was brutal and he swears that he is just trying to kill everyone. Merlin knew that there were deaths during tournaments but it was a bit stupid to lose people over a contest.

* * *

"What did I say?" Merlin shouted.

"It was the honourable thing to do. You need this."

Merlin stood there flabbergasted. What was he meant to say to that? He was so sure that Arthur had fluffed their fight so that he would go through to the final. It was still a good fight anyway but Merlin just wished that Arthur did what he said he would do.

"Honourable? Arthur, I know how you fight. I have learnt everything I know from you. What happened out there was anything but honourable." They stood there, staring at each other. Merlin was the first one to turn away. "I can understand why you did it, but please, I do need to do these things by myself. Yes, I don't have the same confidence as you. I will never be the king that you would have been. But can I make my own mistakes please?"

Arthur walked up to him and placed his hands on his shoulders. "I will admit, I did help you a bit. But I didn't purposely lose to make you feel better. I was fighting as I usually would with a few fluffed steps. Maybe you should have some more confidence in yourself. Because you are a good fighter."

Merlin just nodded.

* * *

"I think that there has been someone using magic."

"Really?"

"Gilli, I think his name is."

"Maybe its time to get my servant clothing out again. I will have a word with him."

"Wouldn't he know that you are the king?" Morgana said, turning to look at Merlin.

He shrugged. "Maybe. Maybe I could get away with it."

* * *

Either he had just got used to wearing richer clothes, or his old woollen ones were always itchy and he had just got used to it. Merlin tried not to squirm around as he walked down the halls. Morgana had pointed Gilli out earlier and he did want to speak with him.

He knocked on the door that Gilli had been staying in. The door opened and Merlin invited himself in.

"Did you think that you wouldn't be noticed?" He asked.

The man in front of him gave him a blank look. "Not get noticed doing what?"

"Using magic."

He watched his eyes go wide before he opened his mouth.

Merlin spoke before he did. "I would just be careful. The king may be more lenient on magic but it is still illegal."

"Why though? Uther isn't king any more. Why is there still this law that says that a gift is wrong?"

 _Because my council won't allow it._ Merlin thought. "It was going to be, but then he was assassinated. Some people don't like change."

"But change is good isn't it?"

"Depends on the change. The law on magic has been in place for now 20 odd years. It is ..."

"Wrong. My father was afraid to use his magic. He kept it hidden. He would still be here today if he had used it."

"And so would mine." Merlin whispered. He thought back to that day, no one had thought to use their magic to try and save him. No one had thought to use their magic to try and stop it from going into his throat. "We have all gotten use to a world without it."

Merlin smiled at Gilli. "Thank you." He walked towards the door.

"For what?"

"For helping realise why I cannot get anything through the council."

* * *

There were two problems with the fight. One was that the guy that Merlin was fighting was a lot heavier than him and two was that he had very little skill.

Merlin ducked out of the way of his sword and moved to his right side. He dropped his shield to protect himself and brought the sword to hit his side. There was only one way that this fight was going to end, and that was with one of their deaths.

The guy turned and blocked his strike and Merlin brought the shield up to his head, trying to keep it as still as possible as he hit it.

He had no idea how it happened but Merlin was on his back, holding up his shield with both hands, having lost his sword, trying to stop himself from being killed.

He had to use his magic. There was no other way. He wouldn't make it out alive. He pushed on his shield and managed to push the guy back. He used the shield as a battering ramp push him back further. He rolled out of the way of an attack and managed to grab his sword at the same time. He could hear the cheer from the crowd as he did.

The other guy had now thrown aside his shield but Merlin wasn't about to copy him. The shield was probably the only reason he was alive now. They started circling each other. Merlin took the time to think about his attack. The guy came at him, his sword raised above his head. Merlin flipped his shield up and lunged with his sword at the same time.

The assault on the shield never came and Merlin opened his eyes to the man stumbling backwards with his sword in his belly. He fell to his knees and Merlin walked over to him. He removed both their helmets.

"You will die Merlin Eorðdraca. Your reign won't last." The man said, blood dribbling out of the corner of his mouth.

"I seem to be doing alright at the moment."

The man chuckled before falling forward.


	15. The Formation of The Round Table

_A little simple chapter today. Sorry it is a bit late out._

* * *

 **The Formation of The Round Table**

Merlin looked at the open book. He had tried to look at it as much as possible since Morgana showed him it. The round table of Balinor Eorðdraca, the second of his name, fascinated him. He loved the idea of it. He really wanted his own.

"Looking at that again."

He smiled up at the old man. "Yes, I cannot help but look at it."

"Your grandfather was fascinated by it too." Geoffrey explained. "I guess you already have names of the people you would have around it."

"Of course I do."

"Unfortunately, your grandfather's table was destroyed when Uther took over. If you wanted one, you would have to find someone to make it for you."

Merlin just nodded. He was afraid that he would say that. It wasn't that he didn't want to be able to have his say in his round table, he just knew that he would have to be the one to contact them.

* * *

Now it wasn't that Merlin couldn't read because he could. He had to be able to, to read the magic books that he got off Gaius and his father. But looking through the scrolls he had been given, he felt like he couldn't. It was more the wording that he didn't understand. It was just too fancy. Why couldn't they put things simply?

He supposed it was a reason it was worded like it was because it had to be. The thing was, Merlin didn't really want anyone to know that he could just about read. He definitely didn't want anyone knowing that he could write just yet. It was embarrassing. Both him and his mother were being taught by Geoffrey. His mother had picked up quicker than he had but she was still struggling. Merlin just couldn't get it at all.

He had managed to get this far without having to write a thing. Geoffrey had written it while he dictated. He put it into the fancy language he needed. He would learn eventually. Like everything else, he thought he would have more time between his father taking the throne and him taking the throne.

Merlin put down the scroll and placed his head in his hands. He knew he would get it but he hated struggling but he didn't want to give his council another reason to doubt him.

His thoughts when automatically to the round table. He wanted one so badly but he would have to write to get one. It would give him an incentive to try harder to get his writing up to where it should be.

He pulled a piece of parchment in front of him. He dipped the quill in the ink pot and placed it onto the parchment. He dragged it down the page before pulling it up again and trying to bring it round to flick it down. He dipped it in the ink again before starting on the o. he managed to write Round before the quill snapped. He threw it a side.

He looked down at the word. It wasn't the best he had done but it wasn't the worse either. It was the quickest he had written something as well. It was sloppy and he knew that it wasn't up to the standard of a king.

If anything, he wanted to scrunch the paper up. He wasn't getting it and it was beginning to frustrate him. He knew he couldn't rely on Geoffrey all his life.

Merlin flatted out the creases he had put into the paper. He got up and walked over to the cabinet and got out another quill. This could be his own personal list of who was going to be on his round table. He didn't need to write their names when he could do something even better.

He started with Morgana and then Arthur and Gwen and Lancelot and his mother and Gaius and then Gwaine. He carefully made sure that he didn't break the quill this time around and held up his work to appreciate it. Why couldn't he be that good at writing?

He quickly hid it as Arthur came into the room.

"Don't you know how to knock?"

"Well you never did." He said, taking the seat opposite his cousin.

"What do I owe the pleasure?"

"We were able to trace the man back to where he had come from. The man you killed in the tournament. He … he wasn't a trained assassin so much but he was trained to try and kill you."

Merlin sighed heavily. "He was sent from Odin."

"As we previously suspected." Arthur turned his head to the side. "Is that a round table?"

Merlin turned the book around so he could get a better look. "It was my grandfather's. I … um have been fascinated by it since Morgana showed it to me. I just love the idea of it."

"So in other words, you want one."

Merlin nodded.

Arthur shot up. "Well lets find your grandfather's." He slowly sat back down. "Unless something happened to it when my father took over."

"It was destroyed."

"Then we will find the best table maker in the land to make you one." He clicked his fingers. "There is a brilliant one in Caerleon. I am sure if you just have the dimensions you want, just a letter would be sufficient enough."

"Do you think, that there would be any chance … that you could write it?" Merlin asked nervously. "On my behalf."

There was a big part of him that wanted to lie to him and say that he had too much to do to write it himself. But then he remembered that he was talking to his cousin. Arthur wouldn't tell anyone.

He knew by the confused look on Arthur's face that he would have to explain.

"I am learning. It is a lot harder than it looks. I … I struggle with writing. I can write but not to what a king should." He got his list out from it's hiding place. "I started to make a list of all the people I want on my round table. Except it isn't much of a list." He handed it over to him.

Arthur took the piece of parchment out of his hands. The 'Round' at the top wasn't the best. He could even tell where the quill had broken. His eyes travelled down the paper, expecting words. But he was met with drawings. If anything, Merlin was a good artist. He could tell who everyone was.

He chuckled. "I'm impressed. I didn't have you down as some artist."

Merlin smiled. "I would find anything to draw on. I think it could run in the family. My father taught me how to carve wood."

"I will write it for you and any other letter you need doing. I will help you Merlin. You don't need to struggle on like this. We are all here to help you. If you feel embarrassed to ask me, ask Gwen. Gaius taught her how to write. It may not be as neat as it should be but if you feel better about asking her than you do Morgana and me, she would be happy to help."

Merlin nodded. "I know I shouldn't but I feel like I should be able to do a lot more than I can. Thank you Arthur though. Maybe it is time that I ask for help rather than drown in my duties."


	16. The Decision of a Lifetime

_Just addressing something quickly. I know that Merlin could write in the series but he must have learnt once he was in Camelot. Merlin grew up a peasant and wouldn't have learn when he was young. Gaius more than likely taught Merlin how to write but I doubt he would have much time with being Arthur's manservant and trying to fulfil his destiny._

* * *

 **The Decision of a Lifetime**

Merlin paced the room before coming back on himself. He chewed on the skin around his thumb. He didn't really understand why he felt so nervous. He was only asking for advice on it. Not actually doing it. Realistically it wasn't a bad thing either.

But maybe the nerves were a good sign, not that he could see it.

* * *

"Arthur." Gwen said.

"Guinevere."

She tried to stop her heart flutter at the way his voice said her full name. It did it every single time and she really wished it would stop.

Times may have changed and Hunith may have been a queen with a common background, but she really doubted that they would have a chance together. Merlin would probably have to okay it through his council and when he was struggling to make Lancelot a knight, there was no hope in hell that they would be able to marry. It was a nice dream and that was all it could be, a dream.

"What do you think he wants us for?" He said as they walked towards Merlin's chambers.

"I have no idea. Do you think the council have said something again?"

"I hope not." Arthur grumbled. "Or if they have. Hopefully it is something good ...ish. I love him but he is really pathetic sometimes."

Gwen tried not to laugh, remembering the rumours that her and Morgana had started.

"What's so funny?" He asked.

"We know Arthur. You do not have to hide it from us about how much you _love_ Merlin."

"You didn't."

Gwen just flashed him a smile.

* * *

"Merlin! Did you know that they were the ones to start the rumours about us?"

"What the ones about us being together?" He waited for Arthur to nod. "Morgana told me about her involvement in them ages ago. Didn't you hear them? I know I did."

Arthur scratched the back of his head. "No."

"It is probably best if you didn't. Some of them are … a bit colourful."

Gwen snorted as she tried to keep in her laughter. That was probably one of theirs.

"Any chance we could stop these rumours?"

"Maybe, and that's what I wanted to talk to you about." He paused for a second. "The council has asked when will I marry."

"Ah." Arthur said while Gwen gave him a wide smile.

She turned to him. "What do you mean ah?"

"What he means by that is, he knows my plan." Merlin explained. "He knows that I want to be able to know what type of king I am before I marry. I want to focus on this kingdom before I have to focus on anything else. I want to make this kingdom the way I want it so that later I can focus on my family. It does spoil my plan."

"Did you tell them that?" Arthur asked.

"Yes but then they argued the point that if I had a wife and queen, then she would be able to take on some of my workload. To be honest, I do think that if I marry, then maybe they will trust me more."

"Crying out loud Merlin. You are jumping through every hoop to get them to trust you. I think you just need to tell them that you are making Lancelot a knight and then you will think about marriage. Stick to your plan."

"But then again, you have been courting Morgana for nearly 2 years now. Not many courtships last that long. Maybe 6 months at the most." Gwen said.

"Gwen, I want to marry her. I want to be able to introduce her to everyone as my wife and queen. I cannot wait for the day that I stand in that chapel to turn around and see her. I cannot wait so much so I have even started to make a few plans and arrangements. And don't call me a girls petticoat Arthur."

Arthur opened his mouth before closing it again.

"I will marry her but I would rather in on my terms rather than because I was told to."

"We could throw tradition right out the window." Arthur said. "You could get engaged now and not get married straight away. Have a long engagement. You have had a long courtship. It will mean that you have thought about the council's proposal.

"You could take it one step further and say that you won't marry her until and then list everything you want done within reason. It will mean that hopefully you will be able to get the ball rolling on some of the things you want to change and then you and Morgana can get married when you feel like you are ready."

Merlin sighed. "Okay, so the marriage problem is stored. What about the Lancelot problem? I know that you have said it in the marriage problem but it is a separate problem."

Arthur was the one to answer. "Well I do agree with your mother. He doesn't need to convince us that he is worthy of a place among the knights. We know that he has proved himself. He needs to show the council what he can do."

"Aunty Hunith still feels foreign doesn't it?"

"Uncle Balinor felt foreign. You being my cousin still feels foreign. It is still taking a bit of time to get used to. It was just me and my father for a long time before I really had anyone that I would call family."

"He was in that tournament. He held himself against the assassin. Wasn't that enough?"

"He probably would be seen more as a 'hero' dead rather than alive. I would say try and think of everything as they would. Let me be the bridge here between what the council is more than likely thinking." Arthur clapped his hands together. "They think they are the voice of the people when they have no idea what the people want. Realistically just let them think that. It will be easier in the long run. You are in the best position Merlin. You know the world they don't. I understand where they are coming from when they argue that Lancelot should rise above his station but you need to go in there and argue that the test should change to be one about skill."

"I have already argued that point. I even went as far as saying that I knew that some of their sons had extra training."

"And they still just brushed you off."

"Maybe just get engaged and we can see where we can go from there." Gwen said.

Both boys looked at each other before nodding. It wasn't a bad plan.


	17. The Engagement of Merlin and Morgana

**The Engagement of Merlin and Morgana**

Merlin paced the forest floor. He moved his hands as he repeated over and over what he was planning on saying. He rubbed his hands together and then dragged them down his face.

He was nervous. So nervous by this. His mind raced with what ifs and maybes. Maybe it was too early. What if she didn't come?

"Will you stop please?"

Merlin stopped and licked his lips before he turned to his cousin. "Sorry." He said before he started bouncing on the balls of his feet. After a few minutes, he had gone back to pacing.

Arthur came up to him and placed his hands on his cousin's shoulders. "Merlin, everything will be fine. Stop worrying."

"I … What if we are rushing into this?"

"You have been courting her for a long time. You are not rushing into it. Do you love her?"

"Yes." It was the easiest question to answer. He loved her so much. If he could, he would spend every waking moment with her. Realistically, he couldn't wait to marry her and wake up to her everyday.

"Then stop worrying."

Merlin sighed deeply. Arthur was right but he was never going to let him know that.

* * *

"Gwen, what is going on?"

"What makes you think something is going on?"

Morgana raised her eyebrow at her. "Because we have been friends since I was 10. I know when you are hiding something from me."

Gwen stopped biting her thumb. Maybe that's how she knew. "It is nothing."

"Then why are we in the forest?"

She hated her questions. She couldn't lie to her but she wanted it to remain a surprise for her. "I thought that you would like a walk. I mean, we have been inside for a long time."

Morgana smiled at her friend's rambling as she tried to explain herself.

* * *

He played with the ring on his little finger. His father had given it to him not long after he had regained the throne. It was his grandmothers and he thought that he could give it Morgana when they became engaged. It was a beautiful ring and if anything, Merlin couldn't wait for her to wear it. He had placed it in a safe place but at that moment, there was no safer place than on his finger. At least he would know if he had lost it. He hoped.

Arthur had just left him and it was his time to do what he had to do. He smiled at her as she came over the hill.

"If I knew I was meeting you, I would have made more of an effort."

"You never have to make an effort for me."

She turned to take in the view. "This is the same place where we caused the witchfinder to come."

"Is it? I never realised."

She turned back to him to see that he was now on one knee in front of her.

He cleared his throat. "Maybe I should have done this sooner. Maybe I should have done it when my father gave me the ring. Maybe that was what he was trying to tell me to do." He slipped it off his little finger. "But if there is one thing that I am totally and utterly sure of is, if you will have me, I would love to be your husband. I would love to wake up and you be the first thing I see everyday. I would love for you to be the last thing I see at night before we drift off to sleep." He took a deep breath to stop himself from rambling. "Morgana, would you do me the honour of becoming my wife?"

She didn't allow him to get up. She dropped to her knees in front of him and pulled him into a kiss. His face was in her hands and his arms came around her waist. Maybe it had been a little overdue but she knew that he would do it in his own time. She was waiting for the council to agree with him and for everything to calm down. She hoped that he wasn't just doing it because he was being forced to.

"Yes. Yes Merlin I will." She said with a wide smile on her face.

He smiled back at her.

* * *

Merlin stood behind his throne as all the Lords, Ladies and knights entered the council chamber. Morgana and Arthur had been in there with him beforehand. He knew exactly what he was meant to say when he had to say it. They would have to get some formalities over with first but then it was all over to him.

He still felt nervous so he didn't sit down as they started to tell him reports from all across his kingdom. Most of them had nothing to report while he was sure that some were just dragging out the fact that there was nothing to report.

"To finish with." Merlin said once they had returned to places. "I would like to announce that I have asked the Lady Morgana for her hand in marriage as she has said yes." He held his hand out to her and she took it. "Tonight there shall be a feast to celebrate and we will start planning soon."

He could have looked at anyone in that room but his eyes went straight to his mother first. Her smile matched the one on his face. He knew that she had always thought that they were a good match.

* * *

They didn't really part as they spoke to guests. Maybe it was them knowing that they had to do things together. Morgana always had a hold to Merlin's arm. She felt safe there and knew that it was the right choice. She smiled every time she caught a glimpse at the ring on her finger.

"Sire, Milady."

Morgana smiled as sweetly as she could at Uther. Their paths rarely crossed, which was a good thing in her eyes. She could never really forgive him for what he did to Merlin's family and their kind. It was just something that wouldn't go away that quickly.

"I just hoped to congratulate you on your engagement."

"Thank you." Merlin said. She could see that he wanted to speak to him less than she did.

"When we were younger, Balinor and Gorlois always wanted us all to be brothers. Not just by knights but by family ties as well. See I was always going to marry Ygraine. We had been paired at birth. Maybe it is just a coincidence that you two are to marry without it being arranged by your fathers."

Uther left them without another word.

They both looked at each other, wondering what they should make from what they just heard.


	18. The Secret of Uther

_We are slowly catching up with me writing. Maybe I need to focus more on that than making edits for instagram._

* * *

 **The Secret of Uther**

There was a part of him that wondered if it was always so easy to get out of the castle or was Merlin just slacking. He shook his head. The guards would want to join them in their celebrations. He didn't blame them. He wanted to join them too.

He thought over what he had said to Merlin and Morgana. It was the truth. Gorlois and Balinor had always wished to join their families. He would roll his eyes at them. They were only 16 and making plans for children that weren't thought of. Neither of them were betrothed to anyone. Only him.

He could wonder what went wrong but it was just all point back to him. He didn't know what was going through his mind when he decided to take Camelot. He was still surprised at how many people he got behind him. He was the one to start spreading the rumours that magic was causing chaos. He had always been wrong about magic.

Uther had already made up his mind. This was going to be his last journey to them.

* * *

"We have heard about the engagement. I thought it was your job to put him off marrying." Odin said to him as he entered the room. "I thought you said that you still had a say over the council."

"I do." He stated. "But I cannot help it if it is what the council want. They seem to want him married. They think he will be more sensible. The last thing he will become is sensible after marrying Morgana."

Cenred just chuckled in the corner.

"Why do they want him sensible?" Odin asked.

"So that they can get him to stop asking to make a commoner a knight. It isn't like he is asking to go to war with the world. He is just asking for a commoner to be a knight. That is how much control I have. He cannot get a pathetic little request like that through."

"What I want to know is why you are here with us instead of with them?" Cenred said.

Uther swallowed heavily. It was easier to make this decision in the forest than to actually execute it. "I … I don't want to be a part of this any more." He mumbled.

"Sorry?"

"I don't want to be a part of this any more." He said, firmly. "I don't want a part in Merlin's death. If Arthur was to ever find out then I will lose him forever. I … I don't want to have his blood on my hands as well. I … I don't like the fact that I have both Balinor's on them. I know that Merlin will be a good king. He will be excellent king. He will be like his grandfather."

Odin laughed loudly. "I told you he was too soft to be involved in our plans. I told you that." He said point to Cenred.

"We needed someone on the inside with some sort of power." Cenred retorted.

Odin turned to Uther. "Oh the rumours must have been true. You weren't the one to lead the uprising against the Eorðdracas the first time around. You were just the only one foolish enough to take the throne. You never had the backbone to rule a kingdom."

If anything that hit Uther hard. He was the one to lead them. He was a fool but he was the fool that came up with the plan.

"I did a good job with Camelot. If I was the fool, I was the fool that managed to influence everyone into thinking that magic was evil. Without me, you would have had your purge. Be grateful that I was that fool because I am the reason you have a reason to rid magic from your lands."

He turned away from them, allowing his cloak to fly around behind him, and he stormed off. He didn't need them. Deep down he knew that it was the right thing to do.

"My, my, my Uther. I think he is wrong. You do have a backbone."

He stopped in his tracks and allowed her to come into his view.

"I wondered if you were involved."

"The thing is, Merlin is the soft one. Even with all our input, he will never ask for magic to be legal. He may be marrying my sister. But that is the only thing he will get his own way with. He doubts himself and badly. We just need to exploit that." She paused. "You were brave for telling them that you want out."

"As much as I hate it, Merlin is doing a good job. Even though we are making his life hell with the council. I would have thought that you would have been all for him. Be by his side and helping him. He wants magic to return as you do, and slowly I am seeing that it wouldn't be a bad thing."

She gave him a look that made him shiver. Vivienne had given him the same look on many different occasions. The worst time being when she had found out what he had done regarding getting Ygraine pregnant.

"How can you trust the Eorðdracas?"

Uther snorted. "I was married to one."

"And one killed my father."

He looked up at her. He had hoped that the rumours were false. He had hoped that what happened didn't. But Morgause had just confirmed his biggest fear and regret.

"I … I never … realised that … Daegal was still alive." He stammered out.

Oh he should have sent him backup. He should have helped his friend. Gorlois had stood by him when he didn't deserve it. He had always been there to protect him. He should have allowed Balinor to hit him when he had found out that Ygraine was pregnant. Gorlois had been a good friend. A friend that he didn't deserve. And he had been the one to help him to his death.

"Well, he was after I was finished with him." She said, sneaking back off into the shadows.


	19. The Death of Uther

**The Death of Uther**

"Either you had help or your gift buying is getting better." Arthur said as he leant over to his cousin.

Merlin scratched the back of his neck. "I would try and take the credit for it but … Morgana helped me chose what would be best."

Arthur could see that she was smiling because of his honesty. He shook his head and smiled as well.

The hall was full to the brim with people, coming far and wide, to celebrate his birthday. There had been a lot of talk about whether it should go ahead or not. Merlin had stated that they should carry on as planned but just to be more vigilant. It was the council that said that they should postpone the celebrations. But Merlin was right. If they carried on as normal, then they wouldn't let people know how worried they were about these assassination attempts.

"We should probably start to mingle." He said.

"Probably but you know half these people, I don't."

"Well." He said, patting him on the back. "Get to know know them."

* * *

"I remember your father when he was just a little younger than you are now. He was such a bright man and so handsome as well."

Merlin just smiled at the woman. It wasn't the first time someone had mentioned his father that night. He had actually enjoyed it slightly. It was nice to hear about how other people remembered him. It was also nice to hear that everyone literally said the same thing about him.

"As I have heard many a time."

"I was disappointing when we got the news that his father had been killed and that there was a new king. I had always hope than he may marry my Elaine. I was also disappointed when I heard that you were already engaged. However after meeting your bride-to-be, I am sure she will make a wonderful queen."

His eyes wondered over to Morgana. "I am more than sure of that."

"I mean Gorlois was another handsome chap and his wife was a beauty. I hope that she is a mix of both of them. Her mother was as stubborn as they come."

He laughed. "We are both as stubborn as each other, that is what I have learnt."

"Lady Lunete, it is a pleasure to see you again."

Merlin took a sip from his goblet as Uther kissed her hand.

"Well the last time I saw you was in your father's own hall. Then I had heard that you had taken this place."

He allowed himself to take a bit of pleasure in smiling at what she said. It was something that was more outspoken now but never to Uther himself.

Uther blinked a few times before opening his mouth to speak. "Sorry to interrupt but would it be okay if I had a word with the king? Just I have something that I wish to speak to him about."

If anything, Merlin was a bit suspicious of this. He could never really trust him but then again, he was sure that he wouldn't place a sword in his back. Uther knew what Merlin meant to Arthur and their relationship had been damaged enough over the past year.

"Of course." He turned back to Lunete. "I am sorry Milady."

His eyes meet with Morgana's and she raised her eyebrow at him. He kept the eye contact as he followed Uther out.

* * *

Merlin stood in the middle of the room as Uther leant against his desk. It was weird to watch him. It had been the first time that he had been alone with him since his lineage was announced.

"You know, there is … I have always missed a few things when it came to the Eorðdracas, mainly Ygraine. See Arthur looks like her but you … you and Balinor just remind me of her personality. She was so kind. She loved everyone and everything. I have always seen as magic as something bad and I will never see it any other way. But she … she could always see the beauty in it. She used to watch Nimueh, Balinor and her other brothers and sister all the time.

"I thought that change wouldn't be good. I had control that I wasn't prepared to let go. I have had something to do with the resistance of the Council. I played a part in Balinor's assassination and in the multiple attempts on your life. I know that you haven't forgiven me for what I did before you were born and I know that you will never forgive me for this."

He looked pitifully at the older man.

* * *

Arthur placed his head gently on the door. He had heard his father's confession. Why had he tried so hard to rip their family apart?

He had started to walk back to the hall when he heard Merlin's shout for help. He rushed back as fast as he could to see a man lying face down and his father in his cousin's arms. He looked up at him.

"We will find a way to save him. There must be a way."

* * *

They had poured over the books. They had them all laid out in front of them, using their magic to flick through them. Arthur asked why he couldn't use the spell that he used on Morgana. Merlin argued that even though Uther's wound was life threatening that he wasn't almost dead. He had been told only to use it when the patient was on death's door. Also Merlin could feel Kilgharrah's resistance from using it.

They had found this spell. He allowed Morgana to do it. She was the better one out of the two of them for these things. Merlin was too scared that something would go wrong.

"Efencume ætgædre, eala gastas cræftige: gestricie pis lic forod." She confidently said.

Maybe his confession should have been a sign but the didn't check him. The colour returned to his skin and he turned to smile at Arthur. If anything it was a sweet scene to witness, until it turned sour. Merlin felt it as the spell as it reversed and increased the effects. He ran to his side and started to chant the spell but stopped halfway through when he realised it was too late.

Gaius came over and confirmed his fears.

Arthur's knees gave out and he dropped to the floor, placed his head in the sheets. He held his father's hand tighter. Merlin was going to leave him when he noticed something that he didn't recognise. He took it out of Uther's tunic before he stormed out of the room.

Morgana was crying outside and Gaius was trying to tell her that it wasn't her fault.

"No, it wasn't your fault." He said, gathering her up in his arms when she ran into them. "He confessed and they wanted him gone. There is a necklace that I don't recognise around his neck. I believed that we could have done nothing to stop his death."

If it gave her some comfort, she didn't let it show. And Merlin knew that once more, the castle had fallen into mourning.


	20. The Day of the Dragonlord

_Guys, Guys, GUYS. Feel proud of me. I have actually finished writing this (NB this **isn't** the last chapter before I get loads of reviews telling me it is a weird place to end this story). I have literally written 3 chapters in about 2 days and I am so happy how it has turned out. The last chapter may not be to everyone's liking but you guys can see it when I post it. I finished writing it about 2 am. I couldn't sleep._

 _Anyway on with the story._

* * *

 **The Day of the Dragonlord**

"Give it here. Let me try." Merlin said as he walked up to Gwen.

"Merlin, if I can't, no anyone can."

"I … He will listen to me."

She shakes her head. "He has just admitted to me that he has been trying to avoid you. He isn't in the best place right now."

"I know. He is mourning and only a few months ago I was doing exactly the same. Just let me try."

She sighed before she handed over the tray of food. "Just don't be too surprised if he throws it back at you."

He let her walk off before he sighed heavily. Nothing had been the same since that night. Morgana had at least stopped blame herself when he gave her the necklace. She had too felt the magic that came off it. Even though she said she hated Uther, it was evident that she was saddened by it. She would ask him why she was crying over him. He had just told her that he had been her guardian since she was 10 it was inevitable that she would still cared for him.

He knocked firmly on the door before he opened it.

Arthur only looked up briefly before looking back down at his work.

"You need to eat. You also need to stop burying your head in your duties and mourn. Isn't that what you told me to do?"

The last thing Merlin expected him to do was to laugh. "He was the only parent I knew. He was all I have. He was my father. You know, you are lucky. You had both your parents. You knew what it was like to make both of them proud of you. So don't think that we are the same in this. Leave me."

He opened his mouth to speak but as soon as he did, Arthur stood up and walked passed him, out of the room. He wanted to make it better for him. He was going to but thought that it was best not to meant that he had only known his father for a year. At least he had, had both parents by his side, even if it was only for a while.

* * *

He ummed and ahhed about going to Gaius for advice. The physician could give him some way of sorting this out. But then he knew that Arthur would just need time. He made his way to the physician's chambers anyway. Even though Gaius was more friendly with his father, he was still friends with Uther. He just needed to check that he was alright.

"Save your eyesight, Gaius. It's the Triskelion of Ashkanar."

Merlin leant his ear against the door and listened into their conversation. He started to lose interest until Gaius said about a dragon egg.

The council might start to be a bit more open now but to bring home a dragon egg, to show them that he was committed to what his father believed, then he knew he would be flying. He needed that egg. He was the last known dragonlord as well. It was his right to have it, wasn't it?

He moved up the stairs a little more, into the shadows, as the man left the room.

* * *

"You heard didn't you?"

"Why aren't you going to help him?"

"Merlin … I don't trust him. If you came to me with a piece of it, I would happily do everything I could to help you find the other pieces. That dragon egg belongs with you or no one. And it looks like it will have to be no one. He is not to be trusted." Gaius sighed when he realise how harsh he sounded. "Just I don't trust him. He always has another motive. I would rather it lost than sold on the black market."

"No I understand."

* * *

"I could get the last piece and try and bargain with it."

Hunith raised her eyebrow at her son. "Gaius has told you the reasons why you shouldn't. I know that you want to go after it. I know you father would be exactly the same. But if Gaius doesn't trust him, then I doubt that you could bargain with it."

"Mother, it is a dragon egg. Killgharrah believes that he is the last dragon as I could be the last dragonlord. Shouldn't I have some say if it stays lost or whether it is brought into this world?"

"I understand where you are coming from Merlin. I really do. Balinor told me what it was like to speak to the dragons. He even took me to see Killgharrah. And don't go to him. You know what he will say. He will tell you to do it. You have to keep yourself safe. Please Merlin. There have been too many deaths over the last few months and I cannot lose you."

* * *

"Arthur! Good, I need you for a thing." Merlin said as he ran up to him, rubbing the back of his head.

One of these days, he will listen. Julius wasn't to be trusted and he had made of with the last piece of the Triskelion before running off. He had been woken up by one of his guards asking if he was alright. There was a sharp pain in the back of his head which he hoped would go away soon.

Arthur just snorted before walking off in the opposite direction.

"Come on Arthur. I cannot think of anyone else I would want by my side to do this."

He just ignored him. Merlin walked fast to be in front of him.

"You blame us for it. I know you do. Do you not think that we have tortured ourselves with what ifs as well? We wanted to help him. After everything he had done to our kind, we tried to save Uther Pendragon with magic. Maybe we should have checked but there is no need for you to act like an ass about it."

Merlin left him afterwards to let his words sink in. Maybe it was a little harsh.

* * *

Maybe the look on Lancelot's face made up for the fact that Arthur wasn't there. He watched as his eyes sparkled with awe at the beauty of the egg. It was still on it plinth, the sun reflecting off it. It made Merlin feel a little teary.

They had seen Julius' unconscious body lying by the door as they entered. Well Merlin hoped that he was unconscious. It would be a horrible way to go and so close to his prize as well. Not that he was going to get it. Merlin could picture the small dragon flying alongside Killgharrah. He couldn't wait for the dream to become a reality.

"Shall we take it home?" Lancelot muttered.

"Probably."

"It is beautiful."

"It is mine."

They both spun around to see Julius. He was unconscious.

"No. The dragons are a symbol of magic. Magic is of the earth. The dragon belongs to the earth." Merlin said.

"I did all the hard work. That egg will make me a king. You can join in. After all, you did give me a piece."

"I already am one and you aren't taking that egg."

* * *

The first thing that Morgana did when she saw him, was to try and brush all the dust out of his hair.

"I am sure this will make an interesting story."

Merlin smiled at her. "We went to the tomb. Julius had already done the honours of opening it for us. We probably shouldn't have stood staring at it for as long as we did but it was such a beautiful sight Morgana. The way that the sun reflected off the white shell. He tried to fight us for it but in the end he lost." He picked up the bag from behind him and opened it. "Because we have it."

She gently took it out and looked at it exactly the same as Lancelot did.

"When it was removed, the tomb collapsed. He won't be bothering us again. We only just made it out."

"So how … I mean is it still alive?"

"It should be." Killgharrah said as he landed.

"Then how?"

"I have to name it." Merlin replied. "Father told me about that. He told me to name any dragon egg I could come across as quickly as possible."

"Then I think it is time to call this one, don't you?"

Merlin took it out of Morgana's hands before placing it on the floor. He closed his eyes and remembered what his father had told him. The name would come to him apparently. He opened them and called in his deep voice. "Aithusa."

Seeing Morgana's face at the sight of the dragon was a thing of beauty and he was sure that he was never going to see it like that again. But part of him wished that Arthur had been with him. This would have maybe helped him to believe that magic was as beautiful as he once thought.


	21. The Disappearance of Arthur Pendragon

_Sorry this wasn't up yesterday. I was at a karate tournament and was planning on updating when I got back, but I had an awful headache and couldn't bare to look at a screen for too long._

* * *

 **The Disappearance of Arthur Pendragon**

"Stop it." Morgana told him.

"I am not doing anything."

"Yes you are. You are thinking about Arthur." She looked over to him. "He is just being a prat and the sooner he realises that the better."

Merlin sighed heavily. He was still really worried about him. He hadn't seen or spoken to him since he told him that he was being an ass. He knew that she was trying to distract him by saying that they should at least start thinking of their wedding plans. It wasn't a bad idea but it wasn't distracting him.

"Just I … wish there was something I could do. He was there for me when my father died. I feel useless because I cannot help him."

She reached out and grabbed his hand. "Unfortunately that is Arthur. He has always kept things to himself. Even from the age 10, he was doing it. I don't really think he was ever really allowed to express himself."

Merlin couldn't even start to imagine what it must have been like to grow up knowing that one day you would take the throne. The idea was daunting at the age of 19. The thought that he was actually king now scared him. He was sure he was going to get so many things wrong.

"Suppose."

Morgana brought her chair closer to him. "Look, we don't have to do this if you don't want to. It is a nice day. We could spend it in the gardens. Maybe learn a bit of magic."

"What more do we have to learn?"

She got up. "Well your father told me that you never stop learning magic. It is a life time study."

He nodded before getting out of his chair and taking her hand again. "The gardens it is."

They raced down the halls, weaving in between the servants. He thought that he had heard his mother shout at them for running but it had been the most carefree that he had felt in a long time.

* * *

"This is a lovely spot." Gwen said as she looked out on the view.

Arthur finished drinking before he nodded. "I passed it while out hunting recently. I said to myself, you know who would love it here. Gwen would love it here."

She blushed slightly. He really did surprise her some times. She would never put him down to be a romantic but when he came up to her with a basket, asking her for her company, she had said yes. She had obviously cleared it with Morgana first off. She had told her that it was fine as she was going to try and distract Merlin's attention from Arthur.

If anything, Gwen knew how much everyone was blaming themselves over what happened. It was an accident that it ended the way it did. After all the attempts, someone was going to die soon. She was glad that it wasn't Merlin but she could see how Uther's death had affected Arthur. Maybe it affected him worse than if they were still on better terms.

Even now she was sure that Arthur hadn't forgiven his father for the circumstance of his birth. She was even sure that he had started to blame himself for all the people that died because of Uther's grief.

"I think it is just nice to get out of the castle once in a while." She bit her lip, debating about her next sentence. "All this nonsense is going to have to end soon. They cannot blame themselves for the rest of their lives and you can't blame yourself and them. You will have to come to terms with it as well."

"He had both his parents. You had both of yours. I have tried my best to make him proud of me. He died thinking that I hated him."

"I doubt that Arthur. I doubt he would ever think that you hated him. There is one thing that you and him could not ever change. You were his son and that alone made him proud. You have two ways of thinking about it. One, Uther could have not done what he did and the Pendragons would have ended with him. Two, for him to do what he did to give your mother the child she desperately wanted and the heir to carry on his family name."

Arthur just stared out to the distance.

She continued to talk. "Balinor had told me a bit about your mother. He had seen the looks we gave each other. He told me that I share her kind heart. He told me that from the moment she had found out she was betrothed to your father, she planned out everything, from her wedding to what she would call her children. He even told me that Uther had caught on to the fact that she wanted to name her first born son Arthur. Apparently he hated the name but he still called you it anyway."

"And what I am suppose to do with that information?" He stared into his cup.

"The things we do for love are usually the worst. If there is one thing that I can tell you about your father's actions, there were for love."

He looked at her for the first time since the start of the conversation. He wondered what he ever did to deserve her love. She was right and he had just realised how much of an idiot he had been. No it wasn't their fault that he had died. He was going to die one day. Like Merlin, it was just a bit sooner than he would have wanted it to be.

* * *

"Why not wait till it is light? You won't be able to see anything now." Leon asked him.

"Don't worry. I can use a little magic and make it seem like it is daylight."

When Gwen had ran into his chambers, telling them that Arthur could be in trouble, Merlin had set off as soon as he could to try and find him. Morgana had comforted her and told him where they were to start their search.

"Not to worry you at all sire, but some of the knights are still a little … unsure about the use of magic."

"I know that. But we in times that are changing. They need to see this new world instead of the old. I know that it is hard for them to but I will make this new world."

He heard Leon slow down rather than see him. He knew maybe he had said a bit too much but it was true. They were going to enter a new world, a new age. It was just he had to bring it around.

* * *

Merlin let up balls of light up when they reached the spot Gwen had talked about. He started to look for any sign of a struggle or the direction they could have gone, or a sign for Arthur. At this moment in time, he would love to find him, hopefully the worst injured.

There were bodies lying around and Merlin took the time to turn each of them, just making sure that they weren't him.

"Sire, there is no sign."

"Keep looking."

Lancelot came up and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Merlin, there is nothing more we can do tonight. We can return at sun rise but there is very little we can do now, even with the light you have given us."

Merlin sighed heavily and was about to turn to him when he saw something out of the corner of his eye. He waved his hand to move one of the balls over and ran down the short decline to see what it was. He soon realised that it was a scrap of a tunic. He looked more and managed to find Arthur's sword and scabbard.

It was bad and he knew it.


	22. The Change in Arthur

**The Change in Arthur**

The first thing that he realised was that he had been tied up with his hands above his head and that he had been there for a while. He could feel a tingly feeling in his arms. He tried to move his hands to inspect the knot but found that it was useless.

The second thing that he realised was that he shouldn't have tried to move. Because he was obviously being watched and a second after he stopped moving, a bucket of cold water hit him. He opened his eyes and gasped. The cell that he was in was cold but somehow the water felt colder.

His eyes took a while to adjust to the lack of light in the room. He was trying to piece together what happened. One minute he was talking with Gwen and finding out how much of an idiot he had been and the next … they had been ambushed. He prayed to everything that she was alright and got back to Camelot safely.

He tried to remember if he had any injuries but a finger just under his ribs proved that he had been hurt.

"Ah, poor Arthur. So brave and strong."

He knew the voice. Her name was on the tip of his tongue when his eyes finally adjusted and he saw her.

"Morgause."

"Do you know who else was brave?" She asked.

He shook his head.

"Your father. I was there when he said that change will be good. The change he was talking about would only be the start. Tell me Arthur, how much do you trust your cousin?"

Arthur's mind quickly flew back to all the things that Merlin had done for him in the short space of time that they had known each other. "With my life."

"The thing is, you are the unfortunate one in this. You have both Pendragon and Eorðdraca blood running through your veins. The two things I distrust the most."

"Then why aren't I dead?"

She laughed. "Because you are more use to me alive than dead. I realise now I am never going to get my sister on my side. Not by her own choice. I know a number of different ways that I can get her. But I have to do it before she marries your cousin. So I need him to die as soon as possible."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"Oh Arthur. Are you really that oblivious?"

He just gave her a blank look. He really didn't know how he fitted in to all this.

"You are the greatest warrior in the five kingdoms. We have hired a number of trained assassins to kill your cousin and all of them are now dead. What a way to turn a whole kingdom against each other? Have the son be just like his father. Kill the King of Camelot and with no remorse. Oh, the kingdom would be split. Morgana would hate you and it would be us that will pick up the pieces."

"There are two things I don't understand. One, Why you think I would do a thing like that? And two why do you want Merlin dead? He will make magic free. Isn't that what you want?"

She laughed again. "Yes Merlin will bring back magic. Magic will flow through he streets of Camelot once more. He knows what it is like to hide himself but he won't give the magical community what they want." She poked him. "Your kind killed ours." She poked him again. "Your kind thought that it was right that we had to be purged from the lands. We will have our revenge. Magic will rule as it always should have done."

Arthur tried to move away from her as she brought her hands up to his head.

She hushed him. "This won't hurt a bit."

* * *

It was a huge relief when Arthur was found wondering about the forest. Merlin ran down the halls as soon as he heard the news, only stopping outside the physician's chambers to catch his breath and straight his clothes. He would just call him a girls petticoat if he knew what he had just done.

He walked through the door and saw him sitting on one of the benches. Gaius was wrapping a bandage around his side.

"Nothing serious I hope." He said.

Gaius jumped slightly. "Merlin, you mustn't sneak up on an old man like that."

"Sorry."

"It is nothing more than a flesh wound. It will heal in a few weeks."

Merlin smiled at Arthur but he went back to worrying when he didn't match it.

* * *

Everything returned to normal. Arthur still cut himself off the group but Merlin just put that down to the reason that he hadn't still forgiven them for his father's death.

So it surprised him when Arthur joined them on the training field. He gave no reason but Merlin was just glad that he was there. He knew that Arthur would give him a fair fight. He had been training with others and he was sure that they weren't fighting to the best of their ability.

Arthur gestured with his head and Merlin walked over to him. He watched him for a moment as he swung his sword around, getting ready to spar with him.

"Let's see how rusty you have got."

If anything, that was the side of Arthur that he missed. The jokey, carefree side.

"I doubt I have."

"Well we will see won't we?"

Merlin was the first to strike. He swung at his injured side, which Arthur blocked quick enough. They carried on striking and blocking each other until something changed and Arthur started to attack him. He was putting all his weight into each strike and Merlin started to struggle.

It wasn't until he was on his back that he realised that he wasn't going to stop. The only way he could see a way out was to use magic but after Leon's comment, he was a little apprehensive. He rolled as Arthur brought down his sword. He looked around for his own but found that it was behind Arthur.

In that moment, everything slowed down to a near stop. Merlin felt like he could move around but his feet were glued to the floor. He tried to use his magic to get his sword but it stayed on the ground. He looked at Arthur and saw the pure determination in his face. There could only be one thing that happened and that was that Morgause got to him. She was also behind his assassination attempts. Not that it made any sense at all.

But Arthur wouldn't do this off his own back. No matter how much he hated them and blamed them for his father's death. He would never be able to kill him.

Time unfroze but Merlin stayed where he was. The realisation had glued him to the spot and his body wouldn't allow him to move.

Something blurred in front of him and he watched as Lancelot started to spar with Arthur. It was the second time that he had saved his life and Merlin knew that he was forever going to be owing him. They just had to knock him out. They just had to see what spell Arthur was under.

"Guards. Arrest him." Merlin found himself shouting.

He watched Arthur struggle. Calling out that they couldn't do this.

Merlin walked up to Lancelot. "Thank you."

"What are you going to do?" He asked.

"I am going to go and find whatever spell Morgause put him under."

Merlin smiled at him before walking off. He had to sort this out and quickly.


	23. The Ask of Forgiveness

_Reply to Aaronna - a spell. I was going to make it the Forromoh but then thought better of it. It just didn't feel right when I started to write it._

* * *

 **The Ask of Forgiveness**

Merlin groaned loudly as he placed his head in the book that was on the table. There was so little in them to do with mind control let alone how to stop it.

"No luck?"

He turned his head to the side to see Gwen. "No, nothing."

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "I am sure you will find something."

"Is he still making a noise?"

"Yeah, he keeps shouting that he shouldn't be down there and that a dungeon is no place for a Prince and that they should release him."

He sat back up properly. "So we need to find something and quick."

"Maybe these will help." Morgana said as she came round the corner, her arms full of books.

Gwen smiled at her as she placed them down. Merlin took the top one and opened it.

"I will try and sneak some food in for you later." She said as she left them. She would be very little help to them.

* * *

Merlin placed the book hard down on the table, so hard that when he lifted it up afterwards, the spine remained on the table.

"Where did you find these books?"

"Why?" Morgana said without looking up.

"Because I think I might have found something."

She looked and took the book off him. She glanced over the page that he was looking at. He might be on to something. The only problem was that they didn't have the same training as many other sorcerers may have had. They didn't have the knowledge that they had. That knowledge had died with them.

"Maybe it will work. But I am cautious. We don't want to make him worse."

"I know but we have to try something."

She got up. "I am going to take it to Gauis. At least he might know what it could do."

* * *

Arthur breathed heavily as he regained consciousness. He didn't open his eyes straight away but he couldn't place where he was. He felt the soft covers that covered him and the pillow that his head rested on. Part of him didn't want to wake and he was waiting for the unruly wake up that he had last time. Part of him wanted to wake because he wanted to know where he was.

In the end his curiosity won out. He opened his eyes see the red top off his bed. He turned to his right to see the sun come through his window. He sat up a bot to quick and winced as his injured side protested at his action.

He placed his head in his hands as he tried to remember how he got here and what had happened. Had Morgause put that spell on him?

He didn't feel any different. He didn't have any urges to go and find Merlin this second and kill him. He pushed the heel of his hands into his eyes. The more he woke up, the more he came to notice the headache that was forming. It was like someone had hit him over the head with something heavy. He raised one of his hands to rub the spot.

"Good, you're awake."

Arthur looked up to see Gwen standing by the door with a tray in her hands.

"You got back to Camelot okay then."

"Arthur, you have been back for a week."

"Have I?"

She brought the tray over to the bed and put it down. "Yes, you tried to kill Merlin."

He groaned. "Please say that I didn't succeed."

"No luckily Lancelot jumped in and saved him when you had disarmed him when you two were sparing. Merlin froze to the spot when he realised that you were going to kill him."

"The idiot." He muttered.

"Merlin is going to go to the council meeting tomorrow and ask to make him a knight. He has spoken to a few of them and Lancelot's actions that day might actually make him a knight."

Arthur smiled. "Good. He deserves it." He leant forward and picked up one of the bread rolls. "Where is Merlin now?"

"Trying to make wedding plans with Morgana. He is trying to keep it as simple as possible and I know that she would like that as well but she knows that this would be a great opportunity to show off their power. I do think Merlin is so close to just asking her to elope with him."

He snorted. It was the only thing he was glad of now. He didn't have to have some big extravagant wedding. Yes he was technically Merlin's heir until Morgana gave him a son but he could have his wedding as simple as he could. He wouldn't have to invite people that he had never meet to keep alliances alive.

"At least they are together." He said as he flung back the covers and took off his tunic.

"Why?"

"Because I need to tell them that I have been an idiot."

* * *

"Merlin, please we have to invite them."

"I have never ever heard of a Lord Leafthorn or Lord Highstone."

"Nor have I but we have to invite them."

"I still don't understand why."

"Camelot have an alliance with them."

Merlin pointed to the paper. "Yes under Uther, not my grandfather."

"They are still your ally."

He huffed back into his seat. He was actually grateful for the knock at the door. He smiled at Arthur as he walked through the door and stood at the end of the table.

"Sit down Arthur."

"No, not just yet. I wanted … I wanted to apologise for the way that I have acted for the last few weeks following my father's death. It was wrong to place the blame of what happened on you two. You were trying to help and Merlin, you were right. After everything he did to your kind and family, he didn't deserve that fact that you offered to help him. I am glad that you did."

"Sit down Arthur." Merlin repeated. "There is nothing for you to apologise for. You acted as anyone else may have acted. You were grieving. I was in the same position as you were only a few months ago." He continued when Arthur didn't move or speak. "Come on. We know that you are a prat and you have demonstrated that. We are just glad that you have realised that and are back to your normal self. And please tell Morgana that we don't need to invite all these people."

"There are you allies Merlin." Morgana shouted at him.

"I bet even Arthur don't know who half of them are. Couldn't we say that their invite got lost or something? Oww." He cried as he rubbed the spot she hit.

"Well don't say something stupid like that."

"It could work." Arthur said.

Morgana looked up and glared at him.

"Umm, give me that list. I can point out the important ones." He sat down next to Merlin and opposite Morgana.

Maybe this was what he should have done sooner. It wasn't right that he cut himself off from them. It was great that they had accepted his apology, he would try hard in the future not to be a prat as Merlin called him.


	24. The Courting of Guinevere

**The Courting of Guinevere**

"We have all agreed that Lancelot being a knight would not be a bad idea."

"Sorry?" Merlin was sure that he had heard them correctly but he wanted to make sure that he was correct.

"The council give you permission to make Lancelot a knight. He has more than proved himself that he is able."

He smiled widely. How could he not? Lancelot was going to join the ranks that he had dreamt of as a child. This would make his day as well as Merlin's.

He tried to tone down his happiness when he next spoke. "I will do it as soon as possible. There is no time like the present, is there?"

"No Sire."

It took everything for Merlin not to smile for the rest of the meeting.

* * *

He placed Excalibur gently on his right shoulder before moving it over to his left. "Arise Sir Lancelot, Knight of Camelot."

They smiled widely at each other. It wasn't the first time but this time it was right and it would be permanent. The only way he was going to get out of it now was death.

Merlin held out his hand and Lancelot grabbed his arm. That was it. They were brothers in arms.

* * *

If anything, Merlin was quite content about watching Arthur and Lancelot spar. It was great to see him finally where he belonged.

They had moved all his belongings from the servants quarters to the knights. They had got Elyan to make him his armour and sword. They had total kitted him out with everything he would ever need. When he entered tournaments, he would just be known as a knight of Camelot.

Merlin scrunched up his brow. Elyan. Maybe he could be another addition to his knights. Not only was he Gwen's brother but he had given good advice from the small chats that they had. If Elyan was a knight as well, it would make Gwen of a higher status. Maybe it would be easier for her to court Arthur openly that way.

Everything was still backwards and he would rather his cousin had the same choice as he had, to marry whoever he wanted.

Merlin smiled to himself. One day it was happen. Everyone would be able to marry who they want. He just knew it wasn't going to happen in his life time.

* * *

He watched her as she went on with her day. She looked at him and he moved his eyes to the floor. It was hard, it was the only thing he couldn't deny. It was hard to be in love with a woman that didn't feel the same way as him.

He knew that he would never look at a woman in the same way as he would her. To him, she wasn't beautiful, she was the goddess of beauty, pure perfection in his eyes.

Maybe that was why Arthur had fallen for her to.

Lancelot pushed himself off the wall he was leaning on and started to make his way back to his chambers. He knew that he could get some jabs about his status but he could easily brush them off. But he couldn't brush off his love for Gwen.

He would try his hardest. He wanted her friendship. But it would be hard to totally dismiss it.

So it hurt when he saw her talking to Arthur, her sweet laugh filling the halls at something he had said. It hurt when she was the only one to comfort him after his father died. It hurt when he saw they leave together while he stood on the battlements.

So he had tried to distance himself from them. He could never hate them for it. Like him, they couldn't help that they had fallen for each other.

* * *

"You are … different." Merlin commented. "In a good way though."

Arthur laughed. "I am happy. For once I believe that anything can be done. I believe that we can make everything a reality. I believe that magic will return." He paused. "My father must have just rolled in his grave. I would have never expected those words to fall out of my mouth."

"Your father can do all the rolling he likes. Change is on the way."

"Just I don't think this happiness can last."

"Gwen?"

"I just cannot see it lasting. We are two totally different classes. I don't see it like that and I know that you wouldn't but others will. It cannot be."

"I would like to remind you who is king and what our grandfather and his father and his father and soon on, right up to Edumud I, believe in."

"You."

"And?"

Arthur laughed again. "I have no idea."

Merlin turned to him. "Did you never learn that or did you fall asleep when Geoffrey told you?"

"Probably."

He shook his head at his cousin. "They believed that it was right for anyone to marry the one that they loved. The dragonlord power only passes from father to son if the union is one of love. That is why some families lost the power. And, Gaius forbade me from every mentioning in front of Uther, but the Pendragon's were one of those families that lost the power because they didn't accept this."

"Wait, my family had the dragonlord power?"

"Yeah."

Arthur looked a bit dumbfounded for a bit.

"So what I am trying to say is that I would rather you with a commoner and be happy then forced to marry some lady and be miserable."

"Does that mean I have permission to marry her?"

Merlin laughed. "Well lets not get too ahead of ourselves. Maybe you could formally court her though."

* * *

It was the last thing that they were all expecting but Merlin couldn't help but think that Arthur had overreacted slightly. He tried to put himself in his situation. He would admit, he didn't know what he would have done.

He was currently keeping his cousin and his new knight apart using his magic. He was expecting for a challenge, for someone else other than him to break the silence.

"Gwen, I think it might be best if you go and find Morgana." He said softly.

She wiped her eyes before nodding and running off. Merlin placed a hand through his hair. The situation was a bad one.

Arthur had started more openly courting Gwen for a week. Merlin had noticed that she was spending more time with Lancelot as well but he just expected that it was because they were friends. He would never have expected that they had starting courting as well. He knew of Lancelot's feelings for Gwen and he knew that she had some for him, but he always thought that her feelings were stronger for Arthur.

Seeing them lip locked had cause Arthur to attack Lancelot out of anger.

"Are you two going to behave like the knights you are?" Merlin asked harshly.

Lancelot gave him a short nod while Arthur just looked down. He released his magic hold over them and let out a sigh of relief as they stayed exactly where they were.

"Lancelot, go back to your chambers going that way. I will come for you if I need you. I don't want you leaving them tonight. Understand?"

He opened his mouth to say something, maybe defend himself but in the end he just turned the way that Merlin had pointed and left.

"Arthur, to your chambers as well, but that way."

"What? It would be easier for me to go that way." He said gesturing the way that Lancelot just went.

"And Lancelot just on that way." He said more forcefully. "You need to cool off anyway."

"You said I could court her more openly."

"And she is a woman of free will. She can court whoever she likes. Now go and cool off and get back to your chambers. And that is an order." He added the last bit when Arthur opened his mouth.

Arthur gaze soften slightly before he turned. He had never seen Merlin like that. He was always the calm one. He was always the one to see the way out. He never had spoken to him like that before.

Merlin dragged his hand through his hair again and shouted once Arthur was out of sight. What a mess and he had no idea how he was going to sort this one.


	25. The Wedding of Merlin and Morgana

**The Wedding of Merlin and Morgana**

The whole day was meant to be stressful. It was their big day. It was the day that they were going to get married. But there was added stress as well.

Arthur and Lancelot were still at loggerheads and the council had their own idea about what should happen.

They had expressed their 'deepest' concerns about Arthur marrying someone of a lower status. Merlin had reminded them that he was once seen as a peasant and was a servant for a long time and that his mother had come from a peasant background. They had ignored what he had said and told him that it might be best to use him to strengthen an alliance.

Merlin had allowed it that Gwen was able to court both of them. Morgana had told him very little about what she had told her but he could tell that she was confused by it all.

So he was there stressing out about the situation while Morgana was stressing out about the wedding.

Guest had started to arrive and it was hard to keep entertaining people. Merlin muttered a name under his breath as he went to the chambers they were staying in. He hadn't been available to met them when they arrived and made it the first thing to do on his list when he had finished the meeting.

He had so many names to remember that he had Gwen make him a list to try and remember them all. He had put a little dash next to the ones that had already arrived and crossed out the ones that had sent their deepest apologies, which he was most grateful for.

He stood up straight before he gave two sharp knocks. He entered when instructed.

"I am dreadfully sorry that I couldn't greet you this morning. It has been mayhem over the last few days. I will be glad when this is all over." Merlin said once he was in the middle of the room.

"My father would love this sort of fuss. He has been planning my wedding for a while. He is a good host. Shame I cannot find anyone to marry." She said from her place at the vanity.

"I am sorry to hear that Milady."

"Mithian, if you wouldn't mind. We are of the same class."

Merlin smiled at her. "Only a couple of years ago you wouldn't have been saying that."

"I find that it is usually best to keep the past in the past. Wouldn't you agree?"

"Some things yes but others sometimes need to be unearthed. I wouldn't be where I stand without the past."

"And for a former peasant you are well spoken." She said as she got up.

"Well I have had the finest teachers, plus it is something that you do pick up just being around the higher classes."

She stood in front of him. "Shame it is your wedding that we are attending."

Merlin was slightly stunned by what she had said. It took him a few moments to think of something to say. "I am sure that you will enjoy your stay. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask. I am sure that we can cater for most needs. I will leave you now." He turned and walked out the chambers.

* * *

He bounced on the balls of his feet as he waited. He could tell that Arthur wanted to tell him to stop but he knew that he wouldn't listen. He was nervous. His mother had already told him that it was a good thing. She would be nervous if he wasn't. It meant he was making the right choice.

He stopped when he heard the doors open and it took him a while to build up the courage to look back at her. He already knew that she would look beautiful. He just wondered what a girl like her was doing with a guy like him.

He turned back and she took his breath away. Yes he had made the right choice. Seeing the smile on her face made him smile and stopped the jitters. Merlin held his hand out to her as she reached him.

"We are here today to witness the marriage of Merlin Eorðdraca, the first of his name, King of Camelot to Lady Morgana Le Fay, daughter of Gorlois Le Fay."

"My name doesn't seem as impressive next to yours." She whispered to him.

"Well not long now you will be Morgana Eorðdraca, the first of your name, Queen of Camelot." He whispered back.

"I would like that."

"Like I said, not long now."

* * *

And there she now was. Morgana Eorðdraca, the first of her name, Queen of Camelot. She had smiled widely through the ceremony and managed to smile even wider when she took her place next to Merlin.

This was where she belonged. This was where they belonged. It may have been nice to run off with the druids but it would have never lasted like this would.

"I only want to say a few words. I hear that Arthur has quite a speech prepared to which I believe that I am not going to enjoy at all. There has been so much change to my life over the last few years. There are some things that I wished that I had done differently but there is more things that I would keep the same. The main one being falling for Morgana."

He turned to her. "You keep me in line. You aren't afraid to tell me when I am being an idiot … which seems to be a lot of the time. You are kind and compassionate and well those are the few things that made me fall in love with you. Maybe this is my way of saying thank you for sticking with me and thank you for becoming my wife. If anyone knows the hardships to come, it would be you. So please join me in raising you glasses to my wife, and now with a more impressive name, Morgana Eorðdraca, the first of her name, _Queen_ of Camelot."

She smiled up at him and pecked his cheek after he had sat down.

* * *

When he saw the servant gave him the parchment, he knew that something was up. The servant had said that it was a note from King Gormause. Now he knew that he was bad at remembering names but he was certain that there was no King Gormause on the long list of invitees. He would definitely remember a name that weird. However in saying that, most name weren't that simple.

He looked around and saw his wife talking to Gwen. He smiled at the fact that she was now his wife.

Merlin quickly slipped out of the hall and walked into the nearest alcove. He had to read it. He had to know who it could have been from.

The first clue that it was from a she rather than a he was the presentation of the letter and the way it was written. It just looked to delicate for it to have been written by a man.

The second clue that it was more than likely from Morgause was the content. The contents of the letter was clear. He told him that he wouldn't last and that the seeds for his destruction had been sown.

He quickly folded it back up and placed it in his jacket. He would find some hiding place for it later. He couldn't allow Morgana to see it. She would only worry.

He straightened his clothes before returning to the party.


	26. The Stay of Mithian

**The Stay of Mithian**

He felt better now that everyone had left or were leaving. It had been a few hectic days and he was glad to go back to normality.

The only thing is that it meant that he had more time to think over what Morgause had wrote. It worried him by what she meant and there was no way that he wanted history to repeat itself. He didn't want to be killed for her to take his throne. He didn't want anyone else to suffer.

He had managed to keep it from Morgana but he was sure that she would find it soon.

"Merlin, just the man I wanted to see."

Merlin smiled at Mithian as she walked up to him. "How may I help?"

"We don't wish to impose but would there be a possibility that my father and I could stay a little longer? We have just fallen in love with the city and I would wish to explore more."

"Of course, we would be happy for you to stay."

* * *

"We have seen that Mithian and Arthur have got closer."

"You aren't the only ones." Merlin muttered.

"Wouldn't this be the answer to the problem?"

Oh yes, the problem with Arthur and Lancelot at loggerheads. It had become worse after the wedding. They had to have separate training times. He just felt sorry for Gwen, who was stuck in the middle of all this.

"We will just have to see how everything pans out. If Arthur and Mithian are getting closer then lets just let them. Let's not put them under any pressure that they have to … start courting formally."

"This won't go away by itself." One of the lords said.

Merlin sighed. He knew that. He just hoped that it would.

* * *

"What on earth does he think he is playing at?" She said as they watched at Arthur helped Mithian on to her horse.

"Don't. Our council want me to push it."

"What?!" Morgana screeched.

"They see it as an end to this problem of him courting Gwen."

"Gwen is heartbroken over this."

"I can guess. Just the mere thought of you marrying someone else turned my stomach."

She held his arm. "Well you are stuck with me for the rest of your life now. Till death do us part was what we said."

He turned to her and kissed her forehead. "And I wouldn't want it any other way."

"And I am now your wife Merlin. I know you well enough to know when you are hiding something from me. We are meant to share everything. I am meant to help you through your troubles."

Merlin looked at his hands as he rubbed his palms together. He looked up to see Arthur leave before he reached inside his jacket and getting out the letter.

"A servant gave me this on our wedding night. Said it was from a King Gormause." He handed it to her. "I had my suspicions so I opened it on my own. I didn't want to worry you."

He closed his eyes as he waited for her outburst.

"Merlin." She sighed. "Why didn't you tell me? Is this what has been burdening you? I thought it was the Arthur, Gwen, Lancelot situation."

"I just don't understand her. We want the same thing." He placed his head in his hands.

He felt Morgana rub his back in comfort.

* * *

Merlin knew that he shouldn't be doing what he was but he had to. After his chat with Morgana, he had to make sure that Morgause wasn't behind the problem that they had at the moment.

Obviously, he knew that Lancelot had feelings for Gwen and he knew that with any love spell, there had to be an initial attraction. But it was his behaviour that had started to worry Merlin. It wasn't like Lancelot to … well be ungentlemanly.

He stood still in Lancelot's chambers. Why hadn't he thought about that sooner?

Lancelot knew that Gwen and Arthur were together. Lancelot would have forgone his own happiness for them.

He left the room. He had to go and talk to Lancelot himself.

* * *

"So Mithian?" Merlin said.

"What about her?" Arthur took a sip from his goblet.

"Question one, do you actually like her or are you just using her so that you make Gwen jealous and she chooses you over Lancelot?"

"She is a lovely woman. She is great company. It is nice to have a woman that is as interested in hunting as me."

"Why do I sense a but?"

"But she just isn't the girl for me. No I wasn't using her. Maybe I was. I was just trying to forget everything about Lancelot and Gwen. She came over and we started talking and we just clicked."

"But not as much as you did with Gwen."

"Exactly."

"The council will be disappointed. I think they were hoping for another marriage. And one that will result in an alliance."

"I don't think that there will be any trouble getting an alliance between Nemeth and Camelot."

* * *

"Thank you. Your hospitality has been most appreciated." Mithian said.

"You and your father are and will always be welcomed in Camelot."

"I am glad to hear that. I have enjoyed my time here."

Merlin scuffed the floor. "I am sorry that what you came to Camelot for didn't happen. I am grateful for the alliance between us but I expect that you wanted more from it."

"Even if Arthur didn't see it, I knew that he didn't want the same. You are kind not to force him into anything."

"If I got to choose who I was with then so must he. As I have already said, I was at one point a peasant."

She laughed gently. "I only wish I could have that choice."

He watched her walked away. He couldn't help but notice the sadness in her voice. But then he remembered, not all kingdoms were going to be like his. It was rare for princes and princesses not to be betrothed. He wondered what went wrong for her.

* * *

They knew that they shouldn't but when Merlin and Morgana saw Gwen, Arthur and Lancelot all talking in the hallway, they knew that they had to listen in. They used their magic of course.

" _So what now?" Arthur asked._

" _Merlin said it was my choice." Gwen replied. "That is why I haven't seen either of you for the past few days. And I am so sorry."_

Morgana rose on her tiptoes to look over Merlin's shoulder. "She is talking to Lancelot."

"Remind me to find him a nice girl. Someone that will love him back as much as he will love them."

"By the way he is looking at her, I don't think he will love anyone else but her."

" _I understand." Lancelot said before Gwen could say anything else. "I came here not hoping for romance but friendship. I don't know what came over me the last few weeks. I do love you Gwen and there is very little you could do to stop me. But then I know that you don't feel as strongly as me."_

"Poor Lancelot." Morgana commented.

" _That was your choice, wasn't it?" He finished._

" _You are a good man Lancelot, you deserve a better girl than me."_

"Really wished she didn't put herself down like that. That is what I have been getting for the last few weeks."

Merlin rolled his eyes at his wife before smiling at the fact that she was his wife. "That is never going to get old."

"What is?"

He brought her closer to him. "That you are my wife." He leant forward and pecked her lips.

"I am not use to it as well." Morgana's eyes move back over his shoulder. "Goddess, they are on the move."

He took her hand in his and pulled her down the corridor. "We will just have to pretend that we don't know. Hopefully they didn't see us."

And just for the readers, they did see them. But then again, Arthur and Gwen didn't expect anything less. They were the ones that had been in the middle of it all. Of course they would have been curious to how it would end.


	27. The Rise of Druids

**The Rise of Druids**

Ever since Balinor took the throne back from Uther, there had been a gentle rise in the amount of druids that visited and traded in Camelot. The forests that surrounded the great castle had also seen the druid community make them their home.

Obviously no one saw nothing wrong with this, magic was on the throne of Camelot. They would be more sympathetic to them. After all the druids were peaceful people. They had become the unfortunate victims in the purge. But then again, anyone born with the gift could have been seen as an unfortunate victim if they used magic in the right way.

No one bothered to ask them why they had moved. Everyone's opinion was different. Maybe if they had, they would have known the real reason. Maybe they would have offered help. Maybe what happened next wouldn't have happened.

* * *

The last person that Merlin had expected to see by Iseldir's side was Mordred. He knew that the man would still have the same views that he did the last time he met him. There was a part of him that hoped that Mordred could see Merlin as their saviour again but there was a big part that doubt that.

"And what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

"We have some grave news Emrys. It needs to come to your attention." Iseldir paused, unsure about how to approach the matter. "Cenred and Odin have started up, what seems like, a second purge. The druids are flee from their kingdoms as fast as they can. Some are being spared because they have taken some oath or something to that description, I don't know, but most have died."

Merlin felt like he couldn't breath. Had he neglected the druids that much? He started to feel guilty. Not once had he thought about them.

"They are safe in Camelot's lands." He managed to get out.

"That's the problem. They aren't. They are running to you, running to Camelot's lands and they are still being slaughtered. They hate our kind so much that they are willing to cross over the border to kill them. And you have done nothing."

"Mordred!" Iseldir said sternly.

 _He is right though._ Merlin thought and by Mordred's smirk, he knew that he had heard it.

"He is a coward. Magic would be made legal if he wasn't. He cannot even keep his own kind safe. His own kind is dying and I bet he didn't even know anything about it."

If Mordred was trying to make him feel guilty, he was doing it well. The young man gave him a smile before turning on his heel and storming out of the council chamber. Iseldir turned to follow him but Merlin stops him.

"Let him cool off." He said as he telepathically told Morgana to go and find Mordred.

"But he shouldn't talk to you like that. I am sorry for his behaviour."

"Don't apologise for him. I know where he is coming from. I have failed him many times."

* * *

It took her a while to find him but she did eventually. She watched him for a while, trying to see the boy she knew in the young man before her. He had grown up since she last saw him but she knew that he couldn't be any older than 14. He was still young and inexperienced.

Merlin had never told her what happened when they stormed the camp. He had never told her what came of Mordred.

She sighed before she walked up to him. "Is this seat taken?"

He jumped up at her voice. "Morgana." He opened his arms up to her and she entered them.

She held on to him. She felt quite protective of him. Part of her wanted him to stay in Camelot now. He didn't have to run from himself any more. He would make a great addition to the group that they were making.

"How have you been?" She asked him when they released each other and sat down.

"As well as I could be. You?"

"I am well."

"You look it." He reached up and stroked her cheek. "You look less distressed than the last time I saw you."

"I have had the time to accept myself and my magic."

"In a kingdom that it is still illegal when you would think it wouldn't be."

Morgana sighed. It seemed like she was having the same argument over and over again. "Merlin will. He is just ..."

"He is just what?" He said interrupting her, dropping his hand in the process.

"He is just waiting for the right time. His father was assassinated when he went to do it."

"He is a coward. You just cannot see that." He took a deep breath. "Look, you wanted to run away with the druids when you found out your magic. There is a group of druids that are fighting for their rights. They are trying to reverse the injustice done to our kind. We could be great additions."

Morgana refrained herself from dragging her hand through her hair. "Maybe when I found out about my magic but not now. There is a plan in place. We will be free one day."

"But will they get what they deserve?"

"Will who get what they deserve?" She asked. If anything, she was frightened by what he was going to say.

He gave a short laugh and shook his head before he replied. "Who do you think? Those that hunted our kind like animals. Those who cannot see magic for what it is."

That was the answer that she hoped he wouldn't give her. She looked up at him and tried to see the boy that was brought into her chambers.

"But that won't make us any better."

He laughed again. "A great injustice has been done to our kind. Magic should rule but instead it has been stamped into the ground. We should rise up against it and crush it. We should see how they like it."

"I never realised that you would become so full of hate." Morgana commented.

His expression changed. "I never realised that you were changed by your privileged life. I will remind you that Uther would have killed you if he found out about your magic."

"Two wrongs don't make a right Mordred."

He dropped his gaze and looked towards the floor. He stopped and looked at her hand. She placed her other hand over her wedding ring.

Mordred huffed next to her before standing up. "And that is why you have so much faith in him." He gave a short laugh. "I suppose you have to now that you are his wife. He will fail Morgana. The sooner you see that the better. Come and find me when you realise that Merlin isn't the one. I will make sure that you reach your potential. We would be brilliant together."

She was too shocked to call out to him. Afterwards, she knew that she would regret it but she just sat there stunned. How that little boy had grown.


	28. The Talks of Taking Over

**The Talks of Taking Over**

"This is getting boring now."

Both Cenred and Odin turned to Morgause.

"Nothing is happening. It is quiet. A little too quiet. What is Camelot doing?"

"And why are you so concerned?" Odin asked.

"Because I am wondering what they are planning. It is hard to know what they are doing when we have no one on the inside."

"What makes you think that they are planning something?"

"Because they are silent. For once, I wish Uther Pendragon was alive. At least he was some use." Morgause grumbled.

"We have been quiet for a while. Maybe they believe that they are safe. Maybe it is time to attack."

"How are we going to do that?" Cenred questioned.

"We … um." Odin cleared his throat, trying to think of an answer.

"There was something that I read about while I was in training that, if it is true, could be extremely useful."

"What training was this?" Odin asked.

She knew that it was the wrong question but she knew that he would get frustrated if she didn't answer. "My training to become a High Priestess of the Old Religion."

"But that is magic. We are fighting against it." He said, confused by her confession.

"Men. I forget sometimes that you are so simple. We aren't fighting magic." She got up out of her chair. "We were united in our hatred against Camelot. We all want the Eorðdracas put back in their place. The only thing I agree with Merlin is that magic should return but it needs to be seen for what it is." She realised that she may have given away too much of her own agenda. "It needs to be seen as a gift." She said quickly, hoping to throw them off.

"A gift." Odin spat. "A gift from the devil."

"Then what I was going to say will not help you if you see it that way. What I have in mind will make sure that you never have any problems ever again."

She watched as his features changed from hate and anger to confusion but inquisitive. She knew that he wanted to know what she had in mind but didn't know whether to trust it if it involved magic. She knew that the first thing that she needed to do was to get rid of him when he had stopped being useful. Not that he had ever been useful. He just was most willing to take the blame for their failed attempts.

"I hope that it isn't a legend." She said continuing. "I read about the Cup of Life. It has been said that it holds the balance of life and death."

"How is that going to help us?" Odin said as he sat back in his seat.

She started to slowly walk towards him. "There was a warlord who used the cup of life to make his army immortal. He collected a drop of their blood and placed it in the cup. Think of the carnage we could do. Think of the kingdoms we could overthrow. Camelot would only be the start. We could take over every kingdom and rule them as one. We could be so powerful."

She stopped in front of him but all she could think about was what they could do. That was if they could find the Cup.

"So where is the Cup?" Cenred asked.

Morgause tried to keep her face straight but she couldn't help but bite her lip. "I don't know. I have been searching for it for a while now."

Odin sighed heavily as he slumped more in his chair. "Well this gets better and better."

"I have a team on it."

"When you said the idea I would have thought that you had it." Odin spat at her.

"Don't be so harsh on her." Cenred said. "The purge probably meant that it was lost. I am glad that I wasn't king at that stage."

Morgause zoned out as the two kings started to bicker. If anything, she was glad that she had Cenred wrapped around her finger. It would be quite easy to kill Odin off as soon as she got her own way but she would hope that she could carry out her plans and he to still be with her. It would be a waste to kill him.

"Milady?"

She turned to the boy that entered to room. Cenred and Odin had stopped arguing as well.

"Can I help?"

"I need to come to you personally. I am with you and wish to offer you my services as much as I can. I know what you have been doing to put Merlin under pressure. The killing of the druids. Nice touch. But it hasn't worked. He hasn't noticed. He cannot keep his own people alive, the people that believe in him the most. And he wonders why I have lost faith in him.

"With the threat that you might assassinate him, he is scared to do anything that will lead to the changes we want. He cannot keep his own kind alive, let alone rule a kingdom properly. I have heard that you are enquiring about the Cup of Life. I know where it is. I could even go and get it for you. The druids will think that I am still on their side."

She just stared at the boy. It seemed too good to be true. He was handing them what they wanted but something felt … weird about it. The way he spoke was older than he looked. He couldn't be any older than 14 and he was already giving his life over to the cause.

He took a step forward. "I was told that you want help."

"And you are just a boy."

"I have had to grow up fast. Uther sentenced my father to death when I was 11. That was went I was dreaming the same dream as them. Life hasn't been fair for me."

If anything, she could say that she was impressed with him. She wouldn't use him how he would want her to but he would be useful.

"What's your name?"

"Mordred."

Her brow creased with confusion. She had heard that name before but she just couldn't put her finger on where.


	29. The Cup of Life

**The Cup of Life**

"There is more to our visit than to tell you about the druids disappearing."

Merlin sighed as he slumped back in his seat. Morgana had told him what happened between her and Mordred and he had told her what happened when they last met. It would have just been simpler if Mordred wasn't so easily lead.

Iseldir carried on. "They are scared. We are all scared for our lives. But my camp is more scared that an artefact will fall into the wrong hands as it already has once before."

He sat up a bit straighter. "What artefact?"

"The Cup of Life."

"I have seen it used before."

"Not the same way that I believe your enemies want to. It is a powerful weapon. It has the power of life and death but there are stories about armies becoming immortal because of its power."

"My enemies? Morgause?"

"She would definitely know and be aware of its power. What her plans are, I have no idea. I wished to bring it with me to give to you for safe keeping but as we have said, we don't want it getting into the wrong hands."

"She would be unstoppable with it." Merlin thought of all the chaos that would be caused by an immortal army. What was it with Morgause and immortals? "I need to talk to some people but I would gladly join you in returning to your camp and retrieving it. It would be safer here. Just wondering, how did it come into your care?"

"We were restocking." He explained. "I felt the magic coming off it on a traders stall. I do not accept stealing but when he was being unreasonable, I did allow a few of the youngsters to take it off his hands."

"Better you did than someone else. Anyone could have brought it from that stall."

"Thank you Emrys."

* * *

Even with the serious of the situation, Merlin couldn't help but smile. They had got two tables made in the end. One of the round tables stood proud one of the council chambers at the top. He couldn't just have who ever he want around that table for the moment. The other one was in one of the chambers underneath the castle and this one only had the people that Merlin trusted.

Morgana was sat on his left with Lancelot and Gaius, while Arthur was on his right with Gwen and his mother. Iseldir was sat opposite him. Merlin had offered him a place and he had gladly accepted.

"Thank you for all making your way down. And I would like to take the time just to announce that this is the first Round Table meeting. I know we have had some at the other table topside. But this is the table were the people I want are around it.

"I called you down here because … there have been developments. Druids are disappearing and we haven't noticed. Obviously this is going to reflect badly on us as we have relaxed the rules on magic. But then again we look bad because magic is still illegal when magic is on the throne.

"But getting to the point, Iseldir has a magical artefact that he wishes was under our protection. The artefact is the Cup of Life. It has the power over life and death if it is drunk from but it can also be used to make people immortal. With the druids going missing, Iseldir is scared, as the whole of his camp is, that it might fall into the wrong hands."

"Morgause?" Morgana questioned.

He turned to her. "She would know about its power. Iseldir was going to bring it with him but was persuaded by the camp to keep it with them. We need to go and collect it and bring it back to Camelot safely."

"We should leave at first light." Arthur suggested. "Who do you wish to take?"

"It would be an honour to join you." Lancelot said.

Merlin felt awkward. "Then will it disappoint you if I asked you to stay? If we get there and the camp has been ransacked and the Cup of Life is gone, then I want someone that I know I can trust to get my mother, Morgana, Gwen and Gaius out of the castle and know that they will be able to do it. I hoped that you would be the man for the job."

The look on Lancelot's face made Merlin feel guilty. But he was the only knight that he trusted wholly to do the job. He knew that Arthur wouldn't stay put. He trusted Leon but he would know that he would like to try and hold the castle. In his mind, he wanted Lancelot to do the job.

"It will be my duty and honour."

Merlin wanted to grimace at his words.

* * *

"I feel really bad."

"I know you do."

"He really wanted to come and I have made him stay put."

Morgana gave a short laugh before walking over and taking her husband's hands in her own. "He is the man that you want to do that job. There will be plenty more adventures for you to go and on and he can join you on every single one. You took him to go and get the dragon egg."

"But that was only because Arthur was acting like a prat."

She pulled on his hands and walked over to the bed, sitting on the edge of it when they got there. "What is on your mind?"

He took his hands out of hers and dragged them through his hair. "I have learnt to much but done too little. I … I want to be the King of Camelot. I know that the law against magic is just waiting to become abolished and I want to be the person who does that. I have all these dreams and plans about what I want to do. And I want me to do them. I have a lot more confidence in this role. I don't want it to end now."

Morgana smiled at him. "I told you everything would be alright in the end."

"We are far from the end. This is really only the beginning."

"Well once we have dealt with Morgause, you can do whatever you want. Magic can become legal and we can be free."

"Aren't we already free?" He joked.

She pushed him slightly. "You know what I mean."

"I do. I just cannot wait for us to get to that point."


	30. The Reunion of The Three

**The Reunion of The Three**

In the end, it was only Arthur that joined him and Iseldir. They were acting on worse case scenario at that point. If there was an immortal army heading towards Camelot, they would want everyone they could get to be on patrol and to get everyone to safety.

Merlin had left Leon and Lancelot in charge. They were told that of Morgause was heading towards them, just to get out as soon as possible. They could get Camelot back but they needed men to do that.

"Ready?" He asked as Arthur jogged down the steps.

If anything, Merlin was happy to have his old clothes on. The woollen trousers were itchy but it was a sacrifice he could make for having his old tunic and neckerchief on. He missed the feel of the cloth around his neck and he had to admit that his old tunic was warmer than some of the other tunics he wore now.

"Did you really have to put that thing back on?"

"I like my neckerchief."

Arthur sighed. "You are still trying to find some way of incorporating it into your everyday clothes, are you?"

Merlin patted it affectionately. "I have missed it."

"I think the rumours that we were more than just master and servant was better. Morgana has to compete with a piece of fabric."

"No she doesn't. Now are we going to stand around arguing all day or are we going to get to this camp?"

Arthur threw the bag over his shoulder and followed Merlin and Iseldir out of Camelot.

* * *

Their first plan had failed. Now it was time to take a different approach. If they weren't going to give it up willingly, then it would have to be taken with force.

They creped up to the camp and watched as the druids carried on with their day, unaware of the danger that they were in.

The leader held up his hand. He had asked that none of them were harmed but as his thighs started to cease up, he knew it wasn't going to happen. He was having doubts. He was starting to dream the dream again. He couldn't see it happening any other way.

Yet he still waved his hand forward to tell them to go and attack. He did nothing to stop them as they started to slaughter the people. He stayed in his hiding spot and watched.

* * *

It had been two long days of walking and Merlin was glad that Arthur only started to moan on the second day. Apparently his feet hurt and he couldn't see the reason why we were walking instead of riding.

Merlin actually like the trip. Walking through the forest had made his magic come alive. Maybe his magic reflected his personality. He would might prefer to be out of the castle and it seemed like his magic agreed with him.

He could feel everything in the forest as he allowed his magic to explore, from the birds soaring above to the branches blowing in the wind. It felt weird but he could feel the beauty in it.

Iseldir stopped and that was when Merlin noticed that something was wrong. It was too quiet for them to becoming up to a druid camp. When Merlin reached the druid camp that he had sent Morgana to, he had heard them from a mile away. He could see the tents but couldn't hear the people.

Iseldir broke out into a run as he reached his camp, Merlin followed quickly behind him. It broke his heart to see the older man stand in the middle of his camp and look around in distress.

"I should never have left." He whispered.

"And if you didn't, you would have ended up like them."

Merlin felt like he could sympathise with him but didn't try to. He obviously felt like he had an obligation of care over these people because he was their leader. Merlin knew that he had thought that he had failed.

He turned to Arthur to see if he had any ideas of what they should do.

* * *

Merlin and Arthur walked in silence. They had given up on trying to break it a long time ago. Another camp had been sacrificed in the injustice against magic. Merlin knew what was going through Arthur's mind. He was blaming himself for it all happening.

There was no point about thinking about what ifs. There was nothing that they could have done to change what had happened.

"A drink?"

Merlin looked up at him and then ahead to see that the trees were thinning out and they were heading towards a village.

"Probably best."

Everyone turned to look at them when they entered the tavern. Merlin tried to shake it off but couldn't help but feel their eyes on him. They hadn't even got a drink before someone stood up suddenly, letting their chair fall back on the floor.

"I will take him."

Merlin looked at Arthur before realising that they were talking about him as everyone slowly circled around them.

"Calm it down people." A familiar voice said. "I am pretty sure he is mine as I was the first person to see him."

The crowd parted slightly and Merlin couldn't help but smile to see Gwaine again.

Gwaine clapped his hands together. "Actually, I have a better idea. We should all fight for him. Who we giving him over to anyway?"

Merlin made a note that if he ever needed a bar fight to start, Gwaine was his man. The whole place had taken his suggestion that they should fight for him and they took their chance to escape. They stole a couple of horses from the stable next to the tavern and took off as fast as they could, only slowing down when they knew that they were safe.

"Thanks for that." Merlin said.

"I owe you anyway."

"If anyone owes someone, it is me. I am in your debt."

"No because I have turned down your offer too many times. I have had a bit of time to think over what you said. It would be an honour to fight alongside you. As my grandfather fought for your grandfather."

Merlin turned straight to Arthur. "I told you."

* * *

The last thing that Merlin had hoped was that Morgause hadn't raise her immortal army and already got to Camelot. He started to think back about everything that had happened to him. Really he should have seen this coming. It was like history was repeating itself slightly. Merlin and Arthur going on an adventure and then coming back to Morgause and her immortals.

Merlin could write a book about all the coincidences that had happened while he had been in Camelot. Like all the times a branch fell conveniently fell from a tree because Merlin had used magic, or the times where they had been captured and brought to the place they were going, or being knocked out, or running away from something. And still the dungeons were still bad. He must do something about them.

Sorry, got a bit carried away there. Back to Morgause and her immortals taking over Camelot. Well they already had.

Merlin was glad that he knew all of the tunnels in and out of Camelot. It made it easier to get in and see who they could get out. They went through the servant's tunnels, something that Arthur knew nothing about. Merlin didn't either until his father had shown them to him.

They crawled out onto the balcony overlooking the throne room. The immortal army was lined up, only leaving a walkway down the middle. Morgause wasn't insight. Arthur turned around to leave when the doors opened up beneath them.

They watched Morgause walk up to the throne with Morgana struggling against the two soldiers.

"Merlin will be back."

"And we will be ready for him when he does." The blonde woman said, turning around.

Arthur placed his hand over Merlin's mouth and pulled him backwards. He grabbed him and they made their escape from the castle they had just entered. Arthur knew that Merlin wanted to protest and go back for Morgana. He wanted to do the same. If Morgana had stayed, there was a chance that Gwen had stayed with her.

It wasn't worth them getting killed in trying to save them. They needed to get out of there and think of a plan.


	31. The Takeover of Camelot

**The Takeover of Camelot**

Mordred watched his companions as they made their journey back to Morgause. They were all cheering and throwing the Cup of Life about. He could only picture the faces that had died to try and keep it safe.

They had welcomed him back into their camp when he wanted help. They were the people that tried to get him to dream the dream again. Why did he only realise it too late?

They had all died because he believed what Alvarr said and not what had been passed from seer to seer for centuries. If they did it that way, they would be no better than Uther and Odin.

He didn't want to take the cowards option but when these men were happy to kill their own kind, it was the easier way. He was at the back and so just ran out into the trees. They didn't even bother to follow him.

He had to make it up to Merlin and Morgana. He was dreaming it again but he feared that it was too late.

* * *

Morgana concentrated on getting her breathing back to normal as she watched the Lord get all his things in order. Whether he had just turned up unannounced or Merlin had just forgot that he was coming, she was panicking. It was her first visit since her wedding and Merlin wasn't by her side.

"Milady, the rumours of your beauty do not do you justice." He said when he approached her.

"I do thank you Milord."

"I was hoping to be met by the new King himself."

"I am afraid that he has been called away on an important mission. I am sure he will be deeply upset that he has missed greeting you. Hopefully he will be back before you leave."

"I am sure your hospitality will do."

Morgana remained stunned as he walked past her. She couldn't believe him. She didn't even know his name. She knew that she would go through Merlin's papers to see if he should be here.

* * *

He hushed the raven as it started to caw. He had to be careful as he didn't want to be caught. Her suspicions had been right and he had to let her know. It would be easier to kill him when he was on the road instead of inside the marble walls.

He hit the bird as it nipped his finger. The blasted bird had never liked him but it was the only one that was strong enough for the job.

He quickly tied the note to it before it had another chance to bit him and then set him free. The bird wasn't going to come back and that suited him fine.

* * *

The raven announced its arrival and Morgause walked over to him. She petted the bird before taking the note off him. The bird called out before flying away again. She would call on him if she needed him.

"I heard the raven." Cenred said as he entered the room.

He could see her smile from the doorway.

"Send your men out. I want them along the border. I want them in the villages. I want them in the forest. I want them everywhere. Merlin isn't in Camelot. He must have gone out to get the Cup of Life. Reward people for his capture or death. I want him dead or alive."

"Right away."

She spun around and allowed herself to laugh. She closed her eyes and remembered when she last did that. It was when she was beginning her training as a high priestess and she had just mastered a spell that had been plaguing her for weeks. She couldn't have been older than five at the time. Part of her felt saddened that her happiness and innocence only lasted that long. Uther destroyed all that.

She would have her revenge for what happened that day. She would make sure that everyone that died that day was avenged.

She heard the cheers from the courtyard and when down to see what all the commotion was about.

* * *

"Give that here!" She snarled as she ran down the steps to reach her group of druids.

Morgause was astounded at the fact that they were throwing it about as if it was some old sack. They all sheepishly turned to her, trying to look at the ground. The new leader held it up for her to take. She snatched it from his grasp.

"Do you have no respect for age and history?"

They all gave her a look like they had no idea what she was talking about and they probably didn't. These were all simple men that had lived simple lives, moving from place to place.

She looked around for the face that would understand her but it wasn't there.

"Where's Mordred?"

* * *

Once they had organised the men and worked out a way to do it, it was quite easy to turn just over a thousand men immortal. It was really the first part of her plan finished. She had an army that would live longer than her. It was all she wanted mainly. Something that would make her enemies quiver in their boots.

The next part of her plan was to not let both Odin and Cenred to become immortal. They weren't part of the plan. Odin definitely wasn't in her idea of how this would end up being. Cenred could have a place but only so she could marry him and then gain Essitir as well as Camelot.

Morgause walked down the halls towards Odin's chambers, flanked by two of her newly-made immortal guards. They wouldn't leave Essitir with him. He didn't want the same as them. Well Cenred only wanted what she wanted, not that he knew what that meant. Cenred may be more lenient against magic but he wouldn't want it to rule over the normal people.

"Morgause, how can I help you?" Odin said as he fiddled with one of his gauntlets.

"You won't be needing them." She said.

"What do you mean?"

She didn't know what would have been worse for him. If she had killed him herself using magic or that his own men had killed him because they were now under her control. But life was a little bit like that. Not always fair.

* * *

The bells were loud as they echoed around the corridors. Morgana never remembered them being so loud.

All their scout had been killed, well they were presumed dead due to the knight scaling the walls as we speak.

"Milady, I must get you out." Lancelot shouted from one end of the corridor.

"Get Hunith out." She screamed over the bells. She just wished they would stop. They knew the enemy was there. There was nothing more that they could do.

She started to run though the halls, towards the battlements. She had to see how bad it was.

"Morgana, what are you doing?" Gwen said as she pulled her back into the castle.

"I need to see how bad it is Gwen. I need to know whether I should open the gate and let them in. I need to know if I need to surrender. Camelot can always be retaken. I am thinking of the people who are probably terrified and maybe being slaughter."

Gwen let go of her arm and followed her out. They looked at the army that was waiting to scale the walls.

"There are too many." Gwen whispered.

"Find Lancelot and help get Hunith out the castle."

"I am not leaving you."

Morgana turned to her oldest friend. It was on the tip of her tongue. The words to tell her that it was an order. But the look Gwen gave her made her chance her mind. She needed someone that she trusted fully to remain if she was going to be captured as well.

"Then find him and tell him that you will look for me. Tell him to get Hunith out the castle and I will meet you in the council chamber."

Gwen nodded.

"Stay safe." She called after her.

* * *

Morgana wasn't afraid for her own life as she was dragged halfway across the castle. She had given the command that the drawbridge was to be brought up and for the knights not to fight. The order came more apparent when word got out that the army was immortal.

What was it about Morgause and immortals? Maybe it was what she craved. Immortality. Morgana couldn't think of anything worse. Watching everyone you love died around you. She wouldn't wish it on her worst enemy.

She struggled against the guard regardless of if she wanted to be captured or not. There had to be some sort of a struggle.

"Merlin will be back." She shouted at her.

"And we will be ready for him when he does." Morgause said as she turned to her. "Now I would ask you to join me again but after your recent marriage, I think I know which side you are on. What did he do to charm you so?"

Morgana thought back to the moment she had kissed him when he tried to help her escape with the druids. "Because he is sweet and he cares and he will achieve everything you want and more. He will be back and maybe you will see why he is known as the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth, why he is known as Emrys."

The older woman laughed. "Emrys is a myth. Emrys is a story to keep the druids to keep faith that it will all get better. You really think that is Merlin? Pathetic."

If anything, Morgana would be happy to wait for Merlin's return, just to prove her sister wrong.


	32. The Run-around of The King

_We are so close the the end now. It is kinda exciting._

* * *

 **The Run-around of The King**

The dogs howled as they dragged their owners along. Some had their noses down, making sure the sent was still there while others tried to race ahead. The guards had to lean backwards to try and remained balanced.

Everyone else followed closely behind on their horses. The whole forest was quiet save for the animals in the group.

The lack of sound frustrated Morgause to no end. It meant that they were no one around and that they weren't going to find the person they were looking for.

It had been a week since Morgause took the throne of Camelot for herself and already had implemented a few rules that Merlin should have. Magic was now known to be on top and the common folk were the people to see the change quickly. If they didn't possess the gift, they were forced to give up their homes for those who did. The courtyard was now full of non-magical homeless people but she knew that it was nothing a few arrows couldn't sort when she got back.

But her focus for now was on finding the young king. He had managed to slip through her fingers and the longer he remained on the loose, alive, the greater the chance that he had something planned to get him kingdom back. It couldn't happen. They needed to pay for what they had done.

She glared as one of the guards was pulled over, regretting making him immortal.

* * *

"We are forever in your debt." Merlin said as he turned around to thank the people still inside the house.

"There is no need Milord. It is our duty to protect you as much as it is yours to protect us." The woman said.

He smiled at her. "Nevertheless, you saw who we were. We had been turned away." He knew that Arthur was nodding behind him. He had threatened to kick down the door of the last person that only seen them as travellers.

They bided the woman and her husband goodbye and left the village in hope to find someone that had escaped Camelot. Merlin hoped that Lancelot did manage to get his mother out. She meant the world to him and he would be lost without her. His grief would definitely be worse for his mother than father. He need her guidance at the moment.

They head eastwards back towards Camelot slightly. They knew the dangers of getting to close to the city but wished to put Morgause on edge, to make it seem like they were within touching distance but not.

The trio made their way into the Darkling woods when they were hijacked. Merlin tried to see the irony of it but the amount of times that they had been attacked by people it was becoming less and less of a joke.

"Merlin?"

He looked up and allowed the smile to spread across his face. "Lancelot." He stood up and pulled the man into a hug. "Thank the goddess you got out okay. Is everyone alright? Hows my mother? Where is she?"

The quick fire questions stumped Lancelot for a bit. The poor man didn't know how he was going to tell the king that Morgana was still in Camelot but was confused when he didn't mention her.

"Your mother is just up here. I am sorry Merlin. Morgana tricked me into leaving her. She is ..."

"Yes she has been captured by Morgause. We saw that much." Merlin said, noticing the man's nerves about telling him.

"Let's go and see your mother. She has been worried sick about you. I think she waits for me to come in and tell her news of your death."

Merlin patted the man on the back before introducing him to Gwaine.

* * *

Whatever Morgause had done to the cell, it was effective. Morgana hadn't tried anything but she could feel her magic trapped inside her. It was an odd feeling after allowing her magic to roam for so long now. Well just over a year but when she has only known of her magic for about two, it just felt natural for it to roam the area.

Her eyes opened as she heard the footsteps. She knew it was Morgause by the sound of her dress flowing around her and there was no tell tale noise of heavy boots on the stone floor.

Morgause stopped in front of the door of the cell. "Enjoying it?"

"It is marvellous. Never felt any better." She said as sarcastically as possible.

The older woman pouted. "Now there is no need to be like that now Morgana. I was only asking."

"Well then you would probably know how it feels or could guess how it feels. I was wrong."

"Why were you wrong?" Morgause said, her voice showing a little hope.

"I thought we wanted the same thing but we don't. We do in a sense by we both want magic to be free but we want it to be free in different ways. I want it to be free because I want to be free. Free from fear of myself. There will still be fear because it is how we have been brought up. Only those that are alive before the purge will be the ones who don't fear it.

"But you on the other hand don't fall into the category. You believe that you are owed something. You made it out the purge alive. Yes you probably saw people die but so did others. The druids saw whole camps being taken out at the same time. You believe magic is on top but it isn't. Magic just is." She said with some realisation.

Her sister glared at her. "And that is why we are so different. Because you are wrong. We were given this gift for a reason. Magic is meant to be on top."

And with that, Morgana was left again to the silence and her own thoughts.

* * *

"Quick question." Cenred asked when they were alone. "Why are you Queen? I thought you were going to wait for me and I was going to become king."

If anything, Morgause had hoped that it would be the only question he didn't ask. She already had an answer planned but she just wished he didn't ask it.

"Wouldn't it be better if we joined the kingdoms?" She said as she tried to answer with a question.

"Me being King would have done that. I would be king of the two biggest and most powerful realms. I cannot see that happening now."

"A treaty between us could be better. Our kingdoms will be joined."

"A treaty?"

She turned to him. "There may be more in it for you if you are good." She said with a voice that she knew he couldn't resist.

"Now that you put it that way." He said with a smile.

She smiled back at him but it was for a different reason. She had him back around her little finger. She had made him believe that he would rule Camelot. He wasn't if she had anything to do with it. If anything, she was going to make sure he wasn't alive much longer.

* * *

He felt on edge by sitting in one place. He felt less vulnerable on the road for some reason. He couldn't keep still and he knew it was slowly starting to annoy everyone by his constance pacing.

"I would be happier if we were ..."

"If we were where Merlin?" Arthur asked harshly.

So he had annoyed everyone with his pacing. He tried to stop his feet but they just ended up moving by themselves.

"I feel vulnerable."

"We are all waiting for this brilliant plan."

Merlin wondered when he had said that he got a plan but he realised that it was the way they had interpreted his pacing.

"It will be a suicide mission."

"Obviously there will be causalities."

Merlin sighed. "We need to knock over the cup of life and spill its contents. We need a distraction so that all the guards with be busy leaving the cup less guarded. It isn't going to be easy."


	33. The King of Camelot

**The King of Camelot**

If anything, the marble walls filled him with hope and joy. It may have only been his home for a short amount of time but it was where he belonged. He could tell that Arthur was feeling the same as him as he gentle pushed him with his shoulder.

"Stop being such a girls petticoat Merlin." Arthur mocked.

"You are as glad as me to be back."

Merlin turned to him and saw his smile. It was where the both of them belonged.

"I must admit, it is too beautiful to give up." Gwaine said as he joined them.

"It is just home now." Merlin commented.

"Then what are we doing standing around here for. Let's get it back." Gwaine started to make his way down the hill, closer to the city.

"There might be a knighthood in it for you." Merlin couldn't help but shout after him.

"So do you think she has put in place the law you want to?"

"You mean made magic legal. Probably unofficially."

"Then let's get it back so you can make it official."

* * *

She hadn't seen anyone for hours. Did she really send them away?

Morgause just wanted to know where Merlin was and she wanted him dead. Her plans could not advance if he was still alive. She could not rest until he was found. The moment she left Camelot to try and conquer more kingdoms, he would be back.

It made her want someone to die.

Her thoughts turned to her sister in the dungeons. Merlin would surely come back to Camelot if he heard the news that his wife and queen was going to be put to death.

She cursed herself for not thinking that sooner and for still having some sympathy for someone who didn't want to know her.

She could make sure it was arranged.

* * *

Morgana kept taking deep breaths as the guards walked her back to her cell, but she could still feel the tears building up.

Even after all what she had said, she still believed that Morgause would care for her. She suspected that she was only doing it to try and make Merlin come out of his hiding place but it still hurt. Someone from her own kind had just sentenced her to death.

Her eyes had locked with Gwen's at that point and the look in her friend's eyes was clear, she was terrified for her.

Part of her wished Merlin to not return until he was ready. He would be a fool to take it back without meeting up with Lancelot and the other knights that managed to make it out alive. He would never survive with just him and Arthur.

As she was placed in her cell and left, the halls were filled with her sobs. She wanted Merlin to come back as soon as possible.

She couldn't rely on that it was just to get Merlin back into Camelot. What if he didn't come? What if he thought that Morgause wouldn't hurt her? What if she did carry out the sentence?

Morgana wanted Merlin. She wanted his soft voice, mumbling that things would be alright and they would find a way out of this. She wanted his arms around her, protecting her.

Morgana wanted Gwen. She wanted her advice. She wanted her comfort.

Morgana wanted Arthur. She wanted his bravery and not giving in. She wanted his strength to carry on when times were hard.

It was going to be a long 24 hours.

* * *

He had forgotten how impressive it was. He didn't really take much notice of it the first time he was here anyway.

He pulled the hood over his face. He didn't want to be recognised. Both sides he had run from. Both sides he looked as though he was against.

Whether they actually thought that, he would never know.

He took a deep breath before walking round the back of the castle, hoping to find the entrance he was once smuggled out of.

* * *

Everyone knew the plan. It was very simple, so simple that really nothing could go wrong. Arthur was going to direct most of the knights in and create a distraction, making sure that the bulk of Morgause's army would be dealing with them while Merlin took a small team to spill the cup.

Unfortunately for Merlin it wasn't as simple as he thought. The bells tolled around him as the plan took its place. He had already lost the three men that had come with him. Two had died and the other one he sure was no better off.

He thanked everything when he ran into the physician's chambers and found it empty. He was so glad that he had left it in its hiding place. The sword that was made for him when he defeated the wrath. It could kill anything. Surely it could help him at least get to the cup without dying.

He moved away the floor board and took the sword out. He would always keep it by his side after this. It was a powerful weapon and one that he should use more often.

He ran from the physician's chambers to the council's chambers. It was in the heart of the castle and it would be the first place he would think about putting a cup full of blood. The sword worked a treat and every immortal that he came across vanished.

Merlin opened the doors of council chamber and smiled with glee as the cup stood proudly in the middle. His smile didn't even faultier as the knights guarding it came at him.

All of a sudden, the air was knocked out of Merlin and he felt the sword drop out of his grip as he was flung backwards. A sharp pain went through his side as he hit the wall and he suspected that he had broken a few ribs.

"And so the king returns."

He laughed as he used the wall to get up. He was still trying to get his breath back. "You didn't think I would let it go without much of a fight did you?"

"Morgana did."

Merlin turned and looked at her. "Morgana knew I would come back. It is easier to take back a castle when I have the men to do it."

Morgause smirked at him and bent down to pick up his sword. Merlin took a step forward.

"Where did you get this from then?"

"It's mine."

"Well, it isn't any more." Her eyes twinkled. "Kill him."

Merlin used his magic to push back the knights but soon it became too much. He couldn't remember how it happened but he ended up on his back, the knight above him raising his sword above his head and over Merlin's heart.

A thousand thoughts flew through Merlin's mind and they were only stopped once he heard Morgause's screams of pain and the knight disappearing. He shut his eyes and the sword came falling down.


	34. The Legality of Magic

_The penultimate chapter._

 _I have really love this story._

* * *

 **The Legality of Magic**

All he could hear was his own breaths. Surely it must have been over by now. He hadn't felt the sword hit him.

Merlin apprehensively opened one eye and then the other to see the sword hovering in mid-air, only centimetres from his chest. The sword was magically thrown away from him.

"You should really learn how to use your magic."

Merlin tensed up before slowly sitting up and seeing Mordred with his sword in the druid's hand, blood spilt to his left.

Mordred threw him the sword. "Maybe the first thing I should have said was sorry. Sorry, I stopped dreaming the dream. Sorry, I believed the word of one man more than I believed what I had been told my whole life. Sorry for losing belief in you, Emrys."

Merlin stood up and picked up his sword. He could now see Morgause's body lying on the floor. He looked back up at the young man. He looked terrified by what he might say.

The young king smiled and held his arm out to Mordred. "Welcome to Camelot, Mordred. I am sure I can find you a role."

The delight and relief that flooded Mordred's face was one of the best things he had ever seen. Well that was until he had his own children, their faces when it came to magic was always going to be one he would remember.

Sorry went a bit off topic there.

* * *

Merlin spun Morgana around as she ran into his arms. He tried to keep his breathing even so that she wouldn't suspect that he was injuried but he would suppose she would always know when he was hurt. As soon as he had put her down, her hand automatically when to the hem of his tunic and pulled it off him.

"I know you haven't seen him in a while and didn't know if he was alive, but Morgana, really, in the corridor." Arthur shouted.

"Ignore him." Merlin whispered to her.

"I was going to." She said as her cold hands moved over his ribs.

He could help but jump at it. Her hands were usually quite warm but then again he knew how cold it could get in the dungeons.

"It's just a few broken ribs."

She took his hand in her's and lead him to the closest bench. "What happened?"

"Morgause found me and blasted me back. I thought I was a goner until Mordred showed up."

Morgana stopped inspecting his side and looked up at him. "Mordred?"

Merlin nodded his head behind her and she turned to see the druid standing there.

She remembered what he had said to her before he had left and didn't really know what to do. She wanted to hug him and be thankful that he made the right decision in the end but she wanted to know why he had made the choice he did to beginning with.

He could obviously tell her inner conflict. "I don't expect you two to forgive and forget just like that but I would love to be a part of the kingdom you are building. Please allow me that."

She struggled to see the boy that was brought to her chambers when she last saw him but she could now. There was the boy that looked at the world and saw the good in it.

Morgana gave him a small smile.

* * *

There were so many people in the council chamber that Merlin lost track of who was coming and going. There was paper all over the table and he wasn't even sure what they were meant to be looking for now. It was something to do with magic but what he was sure what details he was looking for.

He rubbed his fingers over his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Tired?"

He opened his eyes to see Gwen by his side. He didn't realised that he had shut them for long.

"Go and get some sleep. We will wake you when we have found what … we are looking for. I have forgotten what we are searching for."

"So have I." Merlin whispered. He got up out of his chair and heard his back crack as he stretched. "Please wake me."

Gwen smiled as she watched him go. His reign may have started a while ago but this is what he would be remembered for.

* * *

Everything had been finalised and it had all been worded correctly. Everything had been done in the formal matter. Everything that his father had done had been destroyed so they had to start from scratch again.

He walked down the corridor with Morgana on his arm this time. He let out a shaky breath.

"It will be fine."

"I can't help but worry. I am going stand where he last stood and say the words he couldn't."

"And we know now that Uther and Morgause was behind it and both of them are dead. Unless a new enemy has come along and we don't know about."

Merlin breathed in and counted to ten slowly as he let it out. Everything was going to be fine.

Arthur, Gwen, his mother, Lancelot, Gwaine and Mordred were already on the balcony when they stepped on out. Merlin looked down at the crowd below him and felt Morgana squeeze his hand before he raise his arms to silence the crowd.

"The last few weeks have been … different." He started. "Not all the damage done during Morgause's short reign can be undone. There is nothing we can do to bring back loved ones that unfortunately got mixed up in the conflict, but we will repair any damage and try to do the best we can in helping the city get back up and running again.

"There is one big thing that is going to start from this very second. Magic is now legal again. It is going to be a big change. A lot of us have grown up fearing magic and ourselves for having the gift but that is the most important thing to remember. It is a gift from the triple goddess herself.

"So stop hiding yourselves away. Let Camelot be the first to change. Let Camelot be the kingdom it once was. Let the streets be filled with magic once more. I mean, this castle was built with help of magic. For this to become legal, I need help. So I would like to announce that Mordred is now a Lord and my court warlock."

Merlin stopped and allowed himself to turn to the young man. Yes he was still only young but he was sure that he would be able to fill the role. He knew more about magic than Merlin did to begin with.

"So let's set the bar. We have made magic legal and I hope that the other kingdoms follow us as they have done in the past. It is a big change but please roll with it."

And there it was. Magic was legal.

* * *

The tables were set up and the food was being passed around. The news had travelled quickly and the courtyard was filled with royalty, knights, peasants and druids alike. Merlin looked around as everyone mingled, all in tunics and trousers, so it was hard to tell who was who.

"What do you think?" Morgana said next to him, turning around in the dress she had borrowed off Gwen.

"Beautiful. You look beautiful. You didn't have to dress so minimal."

She took her seat next to him. "Well when you have your neckerchief back on, I thought I better dress down for the occasion as well." She looked out to the crowd. "You really can't tell who is who."

"That's how it is meant to be. We are all no different. We are all born and we are all going to die. Whether you are a peasant or a king, it is going to happen."

A few druids (well Merlin suspected they were druids) sent there magic up into the sky and created a light show to out do the stars. It was one of the most beautiful things he had ever seen.

"This is it Morgana. We are free."

Morgana latched her arms around one of his and joined him in smiling up at the light show.


	35. The Dynasty of The Eorðdracas

_I don't know why but I always seem relieved when I finish writing a story but sad when I post the last chapter on here._

 _This story was a long time coming when I finally wrote it. I had the idea for this story in July of 2014. God how time flies._

 _Anyway I hope that you have enjoyed this story._

 _This chapter may not be to people's liking but hopefully you will understand what I tried to do. I liked it when I wrote it. It is sort of from the Writers POV which I have put through out the story really._

 _I am taking a small break from most social media so my next Merlin fic, Prisoner, will be up on 10th May when I get back. I have written all the chapters so I will be able to get it out to you quickly. So please stay tuned._

 _On with the last Chapter of The Real King and the Eorðdracas._

* * *

 **The Dynasty of The Eorðdracas**

Well here we are really. What more can I really say. Magic is legal. Merlin Eorðdraca is on the throne of Camelot with Morgana as his Queen. Mordred managed to redeem himself. Arthur is less of an idiot. Lancelot and Gwaine are knights and in Merlin's inner circle. Hunith lived a long life.

I am really struggling.

So really, that is it. End of story.

* * *

…

...

...

* * *

You want a little more, don't you?

Thought so.

Okay so on with the Dynasty of the Eorðdracas.

* * *

Merlin and Morgana carried on their reign as they sort of started it. They were particularly popular with the people. They ruled fairly. If the stresses of court got to them, then they would dress in peasant clothing and spend a few days with the druids, honing their magical skills. They argued but never fell out of love. They were as stubborn as each other, they were bound to argue.

They had both become worried that their reign would be followed by Arthur's line when they seemed to be struggling to conceive. But then they believed that if the triple goddess wanted them to have children, she would allow it at the right time.

Merlin smiled with glee when he held his first-born son in his arms. He gentle bounced him around the room while Morgana started to recover from his birth.

Accalon turned out to be a very mischievous young boy and sometimes Merlin would applaud his son by the different way he found Arthur. The best one was when he found Arthur stuck to the celling of the throne room. As he grew up he matured into a very honourable young man that would make any father proud of. He would go on and make a very fine king and carried on the fair and just reign of his father and mother.

Their second son, Owain, was much more reserved. He spend his younger days in the library, his head in a book. The thing was, he was a good fighter. He fought intelligently and knew every weakness of his opponent within the first few moves. He was eventually awarded Arthur's title of the greatest warrior in the land. It wasn't a title he wanted, but he got it anyway.

Merlin and Morgana reigned until they were in their late fifties. Merlin knew that they would have to give the kingdom over to their sons at one point but he wanted them to be ready, unlike he was. He would always remind himself that they grew up knowing the roles that they would take on, unlike him. It wasn't going to be a surprise to them when they were 18, like him.

* * *

I have already mentioned Arthur briefly but his life was as good as Merlin's.

He did eventually marry Gwen. Merlin raised her status so that she was a member of the council before he did. The other kingdoms looked down on the fact that the second in line was going to marry a peasant. To be honest, I don't believe it, I think that the council was still trying to put them off the idea. It didn't work.

Gwen gave Arthur three children, two girls and one boy. She felt guilty about telling Morgana the news because she knew how desperate her friend wanted a child. Morgana took the news lightly in front of her but she heard her sob to Merlin later that it was unfair that they had tired for so long without any luck.

Caelia was born first. She quickly followed in her mother footsteps with her kindness and strength of character. She was known to be mistaken for her mother when she had grown up. She found her duties at court tedious and … well seemed to expect more from life than what she got. I suppose if she was born in a later time, she would have been an explorer and travelled the globe. The furthest she got was Powys.

Loholt was next. He lacked the confidence that both Arthur and Gwen had and it took a lot to get him out of his shell. He was very wary of people and outspoken when he didn't like something. The looks on their faces when he would repeat something that they had said in private was classic. He never really gain the self-confidence that everyone would expect a Pendragon to have.

Elaine was the youngest. A bright girl but one for the boys as well. She gave Arthur more scares than the poor man could take, kissing a new man every month. Arthur did spoil her when she was younger but he never had hoped to be repaid in that way. It became so bad it was embarrassing even to Merlin. What came of the young girl was never recorded.

* * *

And now we jump ahead a bit to the 900s. 927 to be exact.

England is becoming united under Æthelstan, and before you ask, no he is not an Eorðdraca. It was the end of the line really. Magic was being drained from the land. The crystal cave had been lost years beforehand and the dragons had died out.

It might seem fitting that there was an Eorðdraca on the throne when England became one. It came in the form of his wife, Hilda. She could trace her family back to Camelot and Merlin, her father telling her stories that his father told him and his father told him and … well I think you get the picture don't you.

But as you may remember, women born to the dragonlord's are born barren. I think that might be why history has forgotten her. She couldn't give the first King of a united England what he needed. Maybe they didn't mind not having children. Maybe they thought it would happen if it was meant to be.

The kingdom was transferred to Edmund I, Æthelstan's half brother, on his death. It was the end of the Eorðdracan line.

* * *

And so England became the kingdom it is known as today and the story of the Eorðdracas was loss to history, until now. A family broken by treason. They had been through so many hardships but maybe that's what made them stronger.

Magic was never going to last but it wasn't meant to end with Ygraine's death. It just sped up how quickly it left the earth. There was only so little Emrys could have done at that point in time. I suppose really we have out own kind of magic now, we just call it science. If you catch my drift.

I know that the stories speak of Arthur and not Merlin, or they speak of Merlin as only an advisor to him. But then again, Merlin wouldn't have minded. Sometimes he did wish it was easier if they had run away with the druids when Morgana found out her magic. Merlin was sure that Arthur would have worked it out eventually. Merlin wouldn't have minded how the stoires were worded, whether it was praising him or Arthur or some other person, made up or real, he was glad to live the life he did. And I suppose that is all what matters, doesn't it?


End file.
